Bandage
by motemote
Summary: University life is hard, but living with people you barely know is harder. An oppurtunity to prove himself arises when Naruto auditions for a student rock band. AU. SASUNARU. Rated M for scenes of a sexual nature.
1. A World of Similar Consequence

AN: This wasn't originally going to be called Bandage. I named the file that for a little joke but now it's kind of stuck. Darn it.

But anyway actual:IMPORTANT FACTS: AU/OU (our universe). Naruto is at university. I'm English so my language is ENGLISH not American English. Some words I know are different but get over it I'm not changing them. The university system is also British but I'm sure it's not all _that_ different. Doesn't make a difference to the story anyway. This will be SasuNaru/NaruSasu shounen ai, which I wasn't too fond of before I started writing this but now LOVE it. So that's boy love, people. It doesn't kick in majorly (meaning explicitly) for a while so if you just wanted some mindless SasuNaru fluff you're reading the wrong fic. There is a mild amount of fluff because fluff is fluffy but it also has a story. Sort of…

* * *

Bandage 

* * *

Chapter One: _A World of Similar Consequence_

Naruto woke to the incessant bleeping of the alarm in the bedroom adjoining his own. He groaned and pulled the duvet tightly around his head causing his toes to sneak out of the bottom and give him a taster of the freezing cold air that lay outside his cocoon. This appetizer did not make him want his breakfast. He curled his toes to try to bring them further into his warmth. The door to his room opened swiftly, no thought to its occupant concerned; a cold draft reaching Naruto's hiding toes.

"Get up, slacker, you'll miss your seminar." A voice colder than his feet said to him. The door was closed again and Naruto moaned and threw the covers off himself, retaining the theory that ripping off the plaster faster causes less pain. He instantly regretted the rash action as a biting chill washed over him.

"Holy-!" Naruto grabbed his dressing gown and stumbled out into the hallway flinging it on. He rammed into the locked shower-room door painfully before acknowledging that it was occupied.

"Busy!" An apologetic female shriek answered his banging, "Just a minute!"

"Sakura! Hurry up!"

The apologetic tone turned sour, "Push off, idiot! A girl needs her privacy!"

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his messy blonde bed-head. He stepped backwards and almost went flying over the banisters as he tripped over a pile of dirty washing dumped on the floor that he could swear wasn't there when he first came out of his room. He cussed and made his way down the stairs, keeping an eye out for mysterious piles of laundry appearing in puffs of smoke. With his vision limited to the immediate ground he forgot that the floor above jutted out ahead of the stairs and caused those taller than five foot, four with any sense to duck out of the way as they made their way down. Naruto, being all of five foot, seven, not including his fuzzy mop, and not having much sense, at that time of the morning or any other time, crashed into the wall painfully, yelped and slid down the remaining steps. He lay dazed at the bottom of the staircase for a few moments groaning. A blurry face entered his sight with obvious scorn on its features.

"Move out of the way." It said bluntly.

His vision clearing, Naruto sat up, "Don't ask how I am then!" He grumbled but shifted to one side of the staircase anyway. Sasuke was already making his way upstairs but turned his head back to shoot him a blank look that Naruto interpreted as contempt.

"You're bleeding." He said and walked back up the stairs broodingly.

Naruto pressed his fingers to his forehead and looked at the blood on his fingertips. The shower-room door clicked open upstairs and he heard Sakura's cheerful voice exclaim Sasuke's name, wish him a good morning and offer him the bathroom.

"Devil-woman." Naruto muttered and licked his fingers.

"What are you doing, freak?" She said sneeringly as she trailed past him, wafting feminine scents in her wake.

"'Morning, Sakura!" Naruto grinned and got up to follow her to the kitchen.

"Yes it is morning! Well done! Would you like a gold star?" She cried, not turning to him as she spoke.

"No, I'm good, thanks." He said happily.

Sakura shot him a despairing look and then backtracked, "You're bleeding."

"Yeah, I know."

There was a moment of silence.

"You're such a freak!" She wailed casting up her hands and entered the small kitchen, "Kiba, do you think you might keep your dog off the table? It's extremely unhygienic."

"Would you let a cat on the table?" The boy at the kitchen tabletop replied indignantly, petting his small white dog as it ate it's own bowl of cereal on the surface.

"A cat's different. A cat cleans itself!" She replied, pulling things out of the cupboard.

"Akamaru's clean!" Kiba retorted, "Besides, you let Naruto eat at the table."

"That's a good point!"

Naruto knew this conversation would have taken place whether he had been in the room or not so he decided to ignore it and search the fridge for his own grocery supply, which was seriously depleted. There was no point in asking one of the others if he might share their supplies, he would be plainly refused. He made do with a slab of skeezy cheese and a piece of slightly stale bread and stuck it on the grill.

"Ugh, Naruto, you know I hate the smell of cheese! You're so inconsiderate!"

Naruto winced, "Sorry, Sakura."

Sasuke chose that moment to reappear and grab his coat.

"There's no way you're getting in the shower now, slacker. Ino's in there. Get ready now, I'm not being late again." He grunted and went into the hall to fix his hair in the mirror. Naruto fought the temptation to kick him as he rushed past and up the stairs, remembering to duck. In his room he flung on some faded baggy jeans, a faded black Asian Kung Fu Generation t-shirt and his favourite orange hoody. He stuffed a notebook, his wallet, and a CD player between study books in his already heavy bag and slid halfway downstairs before realising that he didn't have any socks on and had to rush back to his room to grab an odd pair and put them on at the bottom of the stairs. He fled to the kitchen then to pick up his burnt breakfast and burn his mouth as he shoved it in and pulled his comfortable crumbly trainers on. Sasuke was still inspecting his reflection like a modern day Narcissus when Naruto opened the front door to their rented house. Ino emerged from the bathroom.

* * *

Naruto walked with Sasuke in silence to the lecture hall. It was at least a mile and a half from their house, which was still more convenient than the campus that Naruto had lived on the year before, had been. He was only three weeks into his second year and he was already finding it unbearable. Although he thought he had been lonely last year, nothing could compare to the complete seclusion he faced in the rented house. He dreaded these mornings walking with Mr-Brooding-in-Black Sasuke where he couldn't even listen to his music on the way there for fear of pushing a housemate even further away. He had seemed to get off at a bad start with each and every person he lived with; walking in on Sakura in the shower in the middle of the first week, stepping on Akamaru the first day, accidentally spilling coffee on Ino's laptop. Sasuke just seemed to intensely dislike him despite having done nothing obvious to upset him. He had given up trying to make conversation on these walks at the end of the first week. The only response he ever got was either a "yes" or a "no" but mostly a disgruntled "hmph". Did the boy have no likes or dislikes or any hobbies at all? In any case Naruto couldn't find any out. 

As the building came into sight Sasuke drew a slow breath, "You might want to clean off your forehead before you go in."

Naruto felt the crusty dribble of blood down his brow and licked his sleeve but Sasuke grimaced and caught his arm before he cleaned himself.

"Here." He handed him a clean handkerchief from his coat pocket.

_Who carries handkerchiefs these days?_ Naruto asked himself as he took it from him. He wiped off the blood and wondered awkwardly if he should offer it back, "I'll wash it."

"Keep it." Sasuke growled.

"Um, ok…" Naruto replied, stuffing it into the pocket of his jeans.

They reached the large glass doors of the University lecture halls moments later. The big corkboards along one wall covered in notices had been the place where Naruto had first properly met Sasuke. He was signing his name up on the notice to be interviewed for the house that they now lived in. Naruto had taken his time over looking for somewhere to stay, he hadn't given much thought to accommodation. It was only after visiting his personal tutor and was warned that most students had found places to live and that places near campus were rapidly running out that he went to look. As he had looked over the remaining notices on the corkboards he recognised the familiar face from his seminar and caught Sasuke by the shoulder as he was signing his name down.

"You're in my study group aren't you?"

Sasuke had looked vague and a little bemused at being addressed by one whom he considered to be a total stranger.

"Yeah, you are! Is this the best place left?" Naruto peered at the details of the house.

"I…" Sasuke now looked faintly worried as Naruto took the pen out of his hand and wrote his name under his own.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto beamed at him offering his pen back.

Sasuke glared silently back at him. Naruto's smile drooped slightly and he turned and read off the notice, "Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." He corrected and took his pen off the overly amiable blonde boy.

"You're Asian?" Naruto's smile grew again.

"Japanese. You're name isn't exactly English either." Sasuke murmured.

"My Grandparents were also Japanese. I guess we have something in common!"

A stony stare was his reply.

"Well, Sasuke, we could end up being housemates!"

"God, I hope so." Sasuke muttered, giving Naruto an icy sideways glance as he turned and left down the hall.

From then it had been a gradual spiral downwards on the relationship side of the two. Naruto was certain that Sasuke loathed him, just like everyone else did, if not more.

_At least everyone else has reason, _Naruto thought as he came back from memory lane.

As he hurried past the boards to his lecture hall a florescent yellow flier caught his attention and called to him like a beacon. Sasuke, however, was already storming ahead. Naruto wavered but caught up to him reassuring himself that, _it'll still be there when I come out._

They entered the hall two minutes early. Most of their group hadn't yet arrived. Naruto wondered why Sasuke always bothered to be on time, their professor was constantly late anyway. They took their places in the tiered seats and waited for what they knew would be at least a quarter of the hour they were due.

* * *

Naruto waited outside the lecture hall for Sasuke and struggled with a jammed zip on his bag. His silent companion always stayed behind to talk to the professor. Naruto often bit back a comment or two when Sasuke remerged, often along the lines of, "I hope you shined that apple up nicely?" 

Sasuke appeared bringing that resolute black cloud with him and walked past Naruto still struggling with his bag.

"Hey, where are you going?" Naruto called, hopping after him, wrestling with his unruly rucksack.

"The library."

"We weren't assigned any reading were we?"

"No." Sasuke said simply and stalked off.

Naruto chewed his lip for a moment and then remembered his yellow flier. He dragged his bag to the boards again and searched for the notice. He thought he would spot it immediately and if it had been there he probably would have done. He scanned the boards desperately.

"What the hell? Where-?" He started to mutter to himself but his bag chose that moment to fully unzip itself and pour its contents onto the lino floor. It was seriously not his day.

As he gathered up his things strewn across the floor a hand came into view and picked up one of his books.

"A Brief History of the Edo Period." An unfamiliar male voice read, "Sounds fascinating." The hand was offering the book back now. Naruto squinted up at the owner. He made out tied back hair and a sharp face wearing a mildly amused expression against the bright light above.

"Thanks." Naruto mumbled and took his book back.

"Looks like you'll need a new bag."

"You think?" Naruto said sarcastically, shoving the last of his things in his ripped bag that would no longer do up and standing up, clutching it together in front of him. He got a clearer view of the person before him now. A tall, lean boy with thin, tired eyes looking at him thoughtfully and black hair scraped hurriedly back, a few loose strands sticking out. He paused, seemingly measuring him up and then offered his hand.

"Shikamaru Nara. Music and Psychology."

Naruto shuffled, "Naruto Uzumaki. Asian History and Society. I would offer my hand but it's a little full."

Shikamaru smiled, "I'll see you around then?"

Naruto nodded and smiled in return, "Sure."

As Shikamaru turned and walked off Naruto caught a flash of florescent yellow paper sneaking out of his coat pocket, to which his hands were firmly thrust.

"Hey, wait!"

* * *

AN: I have used my amazing artistic license to make a point about the japanese names. No one else's ever gets pointed out. For the sake of the story lets say only these two have them. Good. Hope you liked the first chap! Many more to come. Please R&R! 


	2. Saccharine Seclusion

AN: Oh look, chapter two. Thanks for the reviews!

Lady Samurai: England is dull, wet and crowded. But you know what? I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!  


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Chapter Two: _Saccharine Seclusion_

"What, this?" Shikamaru said, pulling out the flier from his pocket. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, "It's just a notice I put up about forming a band. Are you interested or something?"

"Well, I didn't exactly know what it was about it just caught my eye so…"

"Can you play anything?"

"Kind of…" Naruto murmured. Shikamaru looked at him expectantly, faithfully. Naruto would hardly call the chords he bashed out on his acoustic guitar playing. But maybe this was his chance to make friends, to prove himself, make everyone appreciate that he wasn't just a clumsy idiot freak. There was also that one thing hiding under his bed that he hadn't pulled out for a long time, "Yeah." Naruto smiled, "Yeah, I play guitar."

"Great! I'll audition you. Now I just need a second guitarist and a singer. I'd given up hope on the idea completely, no one seemed interested." Shikamaru was putting back the flier in his pocket and Naruto began to think his plan hadn't been too well thought out, "This Friday I'm auditioning the drummer. Come along and I'll hear you out!"

Naruto's mouth was dry, he cleared his throat, "Uhh… sure, ok… yeah." He nodded along to Shikamaru's instructions.

"…Thanks, mate. I'll see you on Friday then!" Shikamaru finished.

"See you." Naruto blinked as Shikamaru waved vaguely and left through the glass doors. He stood in the hall clutching onto his broken bag for a moment, wondering whether he should bother turning up or not.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's cold voice said behind him. Naruto almost dropped his bag.

"Sasuke!"

"What's your problem? Do you need someone to hold your hand on the way home?" Sasuke said bitterly, glaring at him. Naruto said nothing. Sasuke sighed, "What have you done to your bag?"

"It broke. My books split it. Not everyone can afford hand-stitched leather from Italy." Sasuke twitched. Naruto smirked although he was worried as to how much this would take out of his student loan. He could just about afford the rent for the rest of the year; maybe he could spare fifty for a decent bag although he strongly doubted it. He still needed to get groceries for the coming week, "I'm going down town."

"Good for you." Sasuke said shortly and walked out, the black cloud looming heavily overhead.

Naruto stumbled over to the pay phone, dropped his bag and rummaged in it for his wallet. He stuck a coin in to ring the only person he could count on to help him out. Naruto dialled the memorised number and the phone purred warmly until it was cut by a soft click as the receiver at the other end of the line was picked up.

"Hello?" A tinny voiced asked.

"Hi, Iruka? I need to ask you a favour…"

* * *

Naruto scalded his hands on coffee and was scolded verbally across the table in his favourite small dusty café downtown. 

"A good bag is a good investment!" His personal tutor and close friend come brother figure, Iruka lectured, "But anyway. It's too late for that now. You'll just have to get a better one. I guess this is where I come into the equation right?"

Naruto nodded glumly, "Could you lend me some money until the end of the month, please?"

"The end of the month is tomorrow."

"You know what I mean? Please?" Naruto gazed imploringly at his elder. Iruka exhaled in exasperation and scratched the back of his head worriedly. "I'll love you forever if you do…"

"Whatever. How much do you need? No forget that. You'll get what I give you and you have to spend as much of it as possible on a good bag, you understand?"

Naruto nodded more positively.

"Good. Well, anyway, how are you getting on with your housemates?"

"Uhh…" Naruto searched for an answer that would keep Iruka happy. He didn't want to worry him anymore than was necessary; he'd already been such a burden, "Fine. We're all getting used to each other."

"Great. I'm glad you're getting on."

Naruto forced a fake smile. Iruka had done so much for him after his parents died. He'd been a friend of the family for years. With his connections he'd given him the scholarship to get into his university and Naruto was eternally grateful but he could never tell Iruka what was really bothering him. It would seem far too unappreciative. Why bother him with trivialities such as his loneliness when he had fought so hard to get Naruto enrolled in the first place.

"I might be joining a band." Naruto said and sipped his coffee, wondering how Iruka would react.

"Oh…" Iruka was obviously waging a small civil war of emotions inside his brain, "Well, that's good I suppose." He said, brow knitted with indecision, "Who with?"

"Well, I only met the bassist today. His name is Shikamaru. He's auditioning others." Naruto said.

"Professional then. I didn't know you played anything."

"I don't."

Iruka blinked at him, paused in the motion of stirring his tea. He opened his mouth to say something but apparently gave up on the idea.

"Yeah, I know that sounds stupid. I haven't played anything properly on my guitar for a long time, but I'm sure it can't be that hard to get back into, right?" Naruto said, trying to convince himself as much as he wished to convince his guardian.

"You're insane." Iruka replied mildly, continuing to stir.

"It'll be fine!"

"You need lessons. When's your audition? Surely you haven't been hired without playing something first?"

"No. The audition is on Friday…" Naruto trailed off.

"You are definitely insane."

"I know." Naruto agreed, finishing off the last of his latte with a gulp.

"I'm glad you agree. I know someone that could teach you if you're desperate?"

"I'm not sure. I might just skive the audition. You're right. It's a crazy idea…" Naruto said morosely.

"I didn't say that. I just said that you were crazy!" Iruka argued but Naruto hung his head, "Naruto… if it's something you want to do just do it. Who cares if you don't get in, right? You gave it a go!"

Naruto looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and then grinned and nodded, "Hell yeah!"

* * *

The sky was darkening when Naruto returned home with his shiny new bag full of groceries and a feeling of optimism that he hadn't felt for weeks. He doubted that when he walked through that door that everyone in the house would feel the same way, but then that was their problem not his. 

He opened the painted black iron gate to the unkempt rockery and then to the front door which he also opened, determined to stay in a good mood. He slipped his shoes off without untying them and took his bag into the kitchen to unload his shopping. Sakura and Ino were in there arguing about one thing or another. Naruto greeted them cheerfully.

"Get lost!" They both screamed at him in unison. Naruto ignored them and unpacked his things anyway: girls could be so hysterical. They did the same and continued to argue.

When he had finished stacking his things in his cupboard he braced himself and took out two more things from his bag.

"Hi, excuse me?" Naruto interrupted their shouting fest and received manic glares of repugnance, "I just wanted to apologise to both of you for… stuff so… here." He handed them the things he was holding, "I know it's not much. But, yeah, sorry."

The girls looked shocked as they held their gifts of small but moderately expensive boxes of chocolate. Naruto ran a hand through the side of his hair in embarrassment and left the room feeling better for it. He headed for the small sitting room to find Kiba and give him a more masculine bar and Akamaru doggie chocolates. He headed upstairs, his feet feeling increasingly heavy for which he did not know the reason. He knocked on the door next to his own, fixed a smile and waited for a reply. None came. He coughed and waited.

"Sasuke?" He tried, wincing as he did.

"What?" Came an excessively moody reply. Even for Sasuke it sounded depressing.

Naruto turned the handle and poked his head around the door to the room that he had never seen let alone been into. Sasuke lay on his neatly made bed with his back to Naruto, not acknowledging his presence in the slightest. Naruto took in the cluttered but clean feel to the room. Not a thing in it was out of place but there was a place for everything and everything was more than his own. The only light on was a table lamp beside Sasuke's bed casting freaky shadows on interesting objects that Naruto longed to inspect. Despite there being quite a lot of things in his room the thing that stood out to Naruto the most was how many books he had. There wasn't a surface without one and this included neat piles on the floor next to his desk. And what stood out to Naruto even more as he gazed was that there seemed to be only one truly personal possession in the whole room: an upturned photo frame on his bedside table.

"Are you just going to stand in the doorway gawking all night or are you going to tell me why you're disturbing me?" Sasuke growled finally, in deep throaty tones making Naruto jump. He'd forgotten he was there in his speculation. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him but did not move in any closer.

"I just wanted to…" Naruto started fearfully but sense took over and he scowled, "Would you face me when I'm talking to you?"

Sasuke paused and took a deep slow breath before rolling over, one hand under his cheek, another underneath his ribs, his night-blue-black hair falling across his face, slightly veiling one eye of another that stared at Naruto sullenly. Naruto suddenly, inexplicably found it harder to talk to him like this than to his back. His throat felt dry, a disturbing urge to cry filling his being. He tried to speak and failed, too busy trying to subdue waves of tears that threatened to form. But Sasuke looked away and sat up, his bare feet touching the floor. He gazed at nothing somewhere near his window.

"What did you want?" He murmured.

Naruto swallowed, "Nothing. I… I wanted to give you something."

"Why?"

"Because… because I guess I wanted to." Naruto replied and then realising what he'd said corrected himself, "No, because I wanted to apologise."

"I prefer the first version." Sasuke said and shot Naruto a look that he failed to interpret. Naruto hesitated and then remembered his purpose. He took the last gift of rich chocolate out of his bag and offered it to Sasuke. Sasuke tensed.

"I can't take this." He said almost softly. Naruto was surprised by his tone of voice.

"Sure you can! It's only chocolate." Naruto laughed nervously.

"No, I can't. It's…" Sasuke's attitude changed again, he seemed to shut off feeling and glowered disgustedly, "I don't like sweets."

Naruto bit his tongue angrily. There was no explanation for it: he felt betrayed. He stuffed the box back into his bag and left the room, not closing the door behind him and escaping into the bathroom where he ran the taps for a bath. He heard the door slam moments later.

* * *

AN: Sasuke's such a butt. Wha! It's turning into Gravitation! Oh no, what shall I do? (Shrugs and walks off). 


	3. A Fresh White Stripe

AN: Yummies! (Tears brim with joy) Thank you all for the encouraging reviews! This fic will probably be updated quite frequently. I have already written fourteen chapters so they will probably be released on a two to three day basis until I catch up with myself.

Chapter Three: _A Fresh White Stripe_

Naruto woke from dreams of dark eyes, bomb-filled bags and guitars, to the sounds of guitars. Or more realistically one guitar: his own. Kiba was sitting on his stool, one leg hanging off the side, the other underneath him, Naruto's acoustic on his knee. He strummed it gently and wrinkled his nose.

"Good morning, Sunshine." Kiba said, fixing Naruto's bleary face with sharp eyes, "Nice guitar. Needs tuning."

"Kiba? What are you…?" Naruto moaned, sticking his face in his pillow and trying to force himself to wake up from what must be another dream.

"I didn't thank you for the chocolate. Akamaru loved it. But you really didn't have to do that you know?" Kiba said seriously.

Naruto just moaned again.

"Wake up, you sloth!" Kiba cried throwing a concise Japanese dictionary at Naruto's head, "I'm trying to tell you something!"

"Ok! I'm awake! Just let me get my eyes back." Naruto yawned then licked his fingers and wiped them over his eyelids. He sat up, "What were you saying?"

"Good morning. Nice guitar…"

"No, the other thing. And no it's not. My electric is under the bed."

"Yeah, I know." Kiba grinned, "I already checked it out when you first moved here." Naruto gave him a look so he cleared his throat and tried again, "Ok, here goes. I wanted to say thank you and I'm sorry for the way I must have acted before. I say things that I don't mean and I only say them as a joke but I guess you haven't known me long enough to realise that so I'm sorry if you misunderstood me. Basically I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Naruto raised his eyebrows and blinked.

"And if you give a student chocolate he's your friend for life." Kiba laughed, "We all need a bit of Serotonin!"

Naruto grinned back, "Hurray for happy hormones!"

"But seriously, Naruto, we're all a bit highly strung in this house. Just don't take anything personally anymore. We're not as bad as all that. Well… maybe Sasuke."

"Mr. Gloom and Doom." Naruto rubbed his neck.

"Mmm," Kiba agreed, "But I bet even he has his reasons."

Naruto didn't reply, stared at his bag, realised that he was and looked back at Kiba.

"So, I didn't know you played guitar."

"I don't much. I wouldn't call it playing."

Kiba nodded, "Sounds like me on the drums. In fact, I'm supposed to be having this audition in two days and I don't even have my drum kit with me."

"Yeah," Naruto said, not fully absorbing the information at his sleepy rate, "I mean, what? On Friday? You're auditioning for drums in a band?"

"Yeah, that's what I said. Why?" Kiba looked confused.

"Because… For a guy called Nara, right?"

"Yeah. Shikamaru, he's my friend from the first year but he hasn't heard me play yet. Why, how do you know him?"

Naruto kneaded his head and said, "I met him yesterday. Told him I wanted to audition for the band."

"That's great!" Kiba cried, almost dropping the guitar, "Isn't it?"

"I don't know. I'm not good enough. He does music and everything! He wants a grade eight or something, not my crappy acoustic chords!"

"Nah, Shikamaru wouldn't care. He's a slacker himself. Besides, I'm sure you're probably better than you think you are. Especially with that dreamboat you have hidden under the bed."

Naruto groaned and shoved his pillow on his head, "'M doomuhd." Came his muffled response.

* * *

With no lectures to attend Naruto spent most of the day attempting to practice the guitar then losing patience and watching awful daytime television soaps that all had the same story just in different parts of the country (or Australia). Kiba was at one of his lectures so Akamaru sniffed at Naruto's side as he lay on the sofa and ate Sasuke's chocolates grumpily. 

"You can't have any, you've had your own." Naruto protested as the little white dog licked his lips hopefully at him. He shuffled closer so Naruto put a hand on his face, "Get out of it…"

Akamaru gave a spoilt whine and sneezed deliberately.

The front door clicked open as Naruto wailed at his slimy hand and the dog respectively. Naruto heard a bag dropping in the hall and prayed it wasn't Sasuke. He had successfully avoided him for the entire day thus far. Although he wasn't sure he had actually left the house at all. This thought made Naruto worry even more. He stuffed the remaining chocolates in their box under a pillow and waited for the shuffling in the hall to either retreat or approach. Akamaru whimpered softly.

_Why on earth _am_ I avoiding him…?_ Naruto suddenly pondered. He recalled the disturbing feelings that had churned inside him the previous night and shuddered. The emotion he had held was unsettling. Nothing he had felt before could tell him what it meant and nothing anyone had described to him before fit the bill. He knew, however, that he wanted to avoid the transmitter for as long as was humanly possible. Unfortunately he knew that would at the very latest be the next morning when they had another lecture together.

Kiba poked his head around the door and said, "Want to come take Akamaru for a walk with me, you lazy ass?"

Akamaru yapped and leapt off the sofa to greet his master. Naruto switched off the TV and stretched noisily.

"Yes! Get me out of this house!" He wailed.

* * *

It was not long after they returned after the cold walk in the muddy nearby park that Naruto was fated to run into Sasuke at last. He was beating his muddy trainers out on the front stoop when Sasuke came back from wherever he had been, coat collar turned up against the advancing chill of winter months, hands firmly in pockets, shoulders hunched. He stood silently in front of Naruto who tried desperately to ignore him and continue smacking out the mud on his shoes that was rapidly disappearing. Naruto finally stood up straight and wiped a fleck of mud off his cheek, breath coming out in mists. 

"What?" He said curtly.

Sasuke walked past him into the house. Naruto realised that he had been blocking most of the entrance and cussed under his breath, stomped about for a bit on the stoop with freezing feet then threw his trainers indoors.

"What are you doing?" Sakura's voice said. Naruto happily noted the lack of the word "freak" in her sentence.

"Oh, nothing." He grumbled and took his coat off as he stepped inside. She shook her head at him hopelessly and did the same.

"Ino and I are making dinner tonight so don't make any plans." Sakura said shortly, obviously finding it difficult to address him with any semblance of humility. Naruto didn't mind particularly, at least it was a start.

"Great! What are you making?" Naruto grinned.

"Secret." Sakura winked and then blushed as she realised that she had let her guard slip.

"I look forward to it." Naruto remained oblivious and bounded up the stairs to his room to find a clean pair of trousers to replace his soggy ones. It was only after he pulled a pair out of his wardrobe that he become conscious that he wasn't as alone as he had previously thought. Sasuke sat on his crumpled bed sheets. Naruto backed up against the wardrobe in shock.

"What are you doing!" He sort of shrieked.

Sasuke shrugged and gazed at him blankly. Naruto looked away quickly, determined not to meet that black abyss. Sasuke picked something up on the end of his bed and fingered it attentively.

"Well… do you mind?" Naruto cried in indignation.

"No, I don't. Do you?" Sasuke said and Naruto noticed what the object in his hands was: the small ivory sculpture of a fox that he had been given for his fifth birthday by his grandparents. Naruto had treasured it, feeling that it was his most valuable possession. Its tail had broken off when Naruto had moved into the house and he had yet to fix it. It seemed like a seriously bad omen. He had taken it off his shelf the night before and had been looking at it, he had obviously left it on the sheets as he went to bed. The tail lay on the floor where it must have fallen in the night. Sasuke picked it up as he noticed it.

"I think I like this most out of everything in your room." Sasuke murmured in his usual ethereal way.

"I wasn't aware you liked anything." Naruto muttered viciously.

Sasuke's eyes flashed warningly but he said nothing. He placed the fox and it's tail on Naruto's bedside table gingerly and lay back to stare at the ceiling. Naruto shuffled uncomfortably.

"Don't mind me." Sasuke said after a moment.

"Ohh, but I do." Naruto said heavily and pointedly.

"And I'm telling you not to."

Naruto fought desperately with the urge to hit him in his delicate, frozen face. Even his foot slid forward to prepare. Naruto took a silent, slow, calming breath as his heart raced with anger and something that felt suspiciously like fear. He decided to ignore Sasuke and change anyway; he would not allow himself to be intimidated by this weird boy. It was his room, why should he leave it to put on a simple pair of trousers? He turned his back anyway.

As he slotted his belt through the loops on his clean pair of trousers a cold hand caught his own as it wound it's way round his back. He felt surprisingly warm breath, sharp and fast, close on the back of his neck causing his spine to tingle and hairs on his arms to stand to attention. His eyes widened. His heart stopped and the house seemed deadly still and soundless; like a science fiction movie set in the vacuum of outer space, or the silence before an explosion where all the air is sucked away. He hadn't heard him move from the bed. He waited for the blast of flames to appear in front of his eyes, but all that flickered was his eyelashes.

The moment lasted far longer than was excusable.

"You missed a loop." Sasuke said in hushed tones and tightened his grip on Naruto's hand. He felt hair brush against his own.

Kiba called up the stairs for Naruto.

"A-alright!" he replied thickly and gratefully and pulled away, practically stumbling out of his door onto the landing. His head swam, his eyes blurred and his heart raced.

* * *

AN: Oh dear lord! Poor, poor Naruto… Yay! He has friends at last! Good ol' Kiba. But(t) Sasuke's a fecker! A screwed up delinquent fecker! What is going on me wonders? Where will this all lead? Find out all in the next exciting instalment! Actually I doubt either of those questions are answered in the next chapter. I like teasing out details. Hee, hee, hee (coaxes out little details from under the sofa with a ginger biscuit). 


	4. Stumbling Your Way

AN: LMAO! (Wipes tear from eye). Oh I just have to reply to some of the fantastic reviews! I don't normally do this but you guys seem to be asking a lot of questions that are too funny to leave alone.

Emina: No, it's not just you! Kishimoto is SO a closet shounen ai fan! Count all the yaoi positions in the start of their fight! I cried with glee at that episode. Thank you for the review!

Lena: Oh, I love your theory but alas, Sakura and Ino are not lesbians. This will be made quite clear later on ; ). Thanks for reviewing!

Iceheart: You think I was _trying _to make it sexy? Odd. I'm sorry if it offends you but it is a well-known cure for sleepy eyes. All it is is dampening the fingers not slobbering all over them! Maybe you should try it sometime. And there will be more licking I'm afraid… : D! But if it makes you feel any better just don't think about it. Nothing is slobbery in my fic, thank you! Thanks for the review all the same!

And to those that theorised about the band members: Kukukukuku!

* * *

Chapter Four: _Stumbling Your Way_

As the night went on, Naruto believed he must have imagined the whole thing. Sasuke was his usual arrogant, brooding self and barely recognized him through dinner. Kiba would shoot him questioning glances across the table to which Naruto would shake his head and help himself to more Naan bread. He could obviously tell that something was worrying him. Was it that obvious?

The meal was surprisingly well prepared, Naruto decided he would have to buy chocolate for the two girls more often. Afterwards they watched a bit of TV together and Naruto would have appreciated the time more if his mind hadn't been so filled with alarming thoughts that he had to keep on squashing them to the back until they crept forward again, which was frequently. He excused himself early claiming that he had a headache and shut himself in his room and lay in bed with the lights off for a long time before he got to sleep.

The next morning he was woken by the usual annoying alarm clock but Sasuke did not come to tell him to get up. Naruto wasn't sure how to feel about this but he got up anyway and stood outside the busy bathroom like a watchman. Sakura came out and he almost knocked her over in his rush to claim it. He mumbled a few apologies as he closed the door and had the first shower before breakfast of his second year. When he finished, taking his time of course, Sasuke was leaning against the banisters looking extremely pissed off. Naruto gave him a wink and skipped downstairs before thinking about regretting it and had a decent breakfast where he was not screamed at and merely listened to Sakura and Ino's ritual argument. The topic interested him somewhat.

"Don't be a pig, Ino, of course he doesn't think of you like that!" Sakura meowed.

"And why not? I've got a better chance than you, fat-head." Ino hissed, her claws almost visible.

"You've got less chance of hooking up with Sasuke than… than a…"

"Hippo?" Naruto interjected, digging his spoon in his yoghurt pot as he leant against the counter and surveyed the scene.

"Than a hippo!" Sakura finished.

"Well, you would say that wouldn't you? You practically are one." Ino replied childishly.

"Take that back!"

"You know what? Screw you, Sakura, you're obviously so green with envy you can hardly stand straight." Ino said dismissively and chucked her plate in the sink violently before strutting out.

Naruto observed that Sakura was swaying quite treacherously but decided to keep his mouth shut for once, wished her a good day and slipped his shoes on out in the hall. Sasuke trooped downstairs behind him, still towel drying his hair and mumbling obscenities like a madman, which Naruto was beginning to consider he really was.

"Not ready yet?" Naruto said sneeringly.

Sasuke glared at him and seemed about to say something acid but rushed off, throwing his towel on the bottom step. Naruto shrugged on his coat and waited patiently and smugly for Sasuke to return. He did, hair scruffed up and damp with the black cloud growing and thickening above his head, threatening a storm. Naruto was confident that his sun would pierce it. He opened the door as Sasuke pulled his shoes on.

When they were a distance up the road and nothing had been said Sasuke threw his tantrum.

"Don't do that again." He growled angrily, obviously trying to contain himself and almost twitching with the effort.

"Do what?" Naruto smiled pleasantly at him.

"You know fu-!" Sasuke paused and visibly calmed himself, running a hand through his sodden hair, "You know what."

"Well, how about you ask Sakura to take her shower later? She doesn't need to have one that early anyway, she never has lectures or anything when we do." Naruto maintained his cheerful tone, "Besides, why are you getting so worked up about it?"

"Because you did it on purpose just to annoy me!" Sasuke cried. Naruto was impressed that Sasuke could actually raise his voice beyond a hushed hiss.

"Now that's not fair…" Naruto pouted sarcastically, "Did you like the message I left on the mirror?"

"You're not funny, Uzumaki."

"Oh! We're on last name terms now, are we?"

"Shut up."

"Tell me, _Uchiha_, why do you wait for me? Why don't you just walk on your own?"

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke screamed and stopped in his tracks, he clutched the side of his neck as if in pain, "You drive me so crazy! Why can't you just shut the hell up?"

Naruto hesitated; perhaps he had crossed the line. He said nothing and they walked on for a few more minutes in silence again.

"Why _do_ you wait for me?" Naruto asked calmly.

"Because I want to." Sasuke continued to walk and grew colder. Naruto had yet to decide if this was better than his anger but he was determined to keep his head up and the sun shining.

"Do you always do whatever you want?"

Sasuke pulled his shoulder bag further up and didn't reply.

"Sasuke?" He touched his shoulder blade and Sasuke swung round sharply. Naruto flinched, expecting to feel the sting of a fist to his face. But it never came. Instead he felt arms around his shoulders and back in a tight embrace that he couldn't move from, "S-Sasuke!" He choked into Sasuke's neck and shoulder, "Sasuke, stop it." He noticed a strange white scar on it, "Please let…"

"I hate you." Sasuke said hoarsely.

Naruto froze, "Get off me." He spat and tried to wriggle free. Sasuke clung tighter. Naruto could feel his jaw moving, as if muttering something silently, "Get off me!" Naruto began to feel terror grip his insides like a cold wet cloth, "Would you…? Just… Sasuke, I don't hate you! Get off me, I don't hate you!"

The warmth left Naruto as Sasuke backed off and wore an unintelligible expression.

"What was…?" Naruto started but Sasuke was looking behind him, past his shoulder. He turned to look but Sasuke gripped his arm and pulled him forward hurriedly.

"Nothing. We're going to be late." He said, forcing Naruto to walk forward with him at an unnatural pace, something Naruto had not heard before tingeing his voice. It was unmistakeably fear.

As Sasuke focused all his attention ahead, Naruto looked over his shoulder behind him. There was nothing there.

* * *

Naruto couldn't concentrate through his lecture. The lecturer droned on in his usual drowsy tone and Naruto didn't hear a word. Thoughts buzzed through his head like irritating insects and he could hardly capture one before another flew to him. Sasuke sat next to him, calm, serene and focused, his head down, hair falling forward, almost touching the page as he scribbled notes in his long fluid handwriting. _He writes like a girl, _Naruto reflected. He was oblivious to the trauma of Naruto's train of thought. _But then_, Naruto supposed, _there must be something wrong in there to make him act the way he does. _It was blindingly blatant even to Naruto that Sasuke was a little disturbed. But he was not scared of him anymore. The cold gut feeling had been replaced with something that Naruto guessed was pity. 

_I'm going to find you out, Uchiha. I'm going to crack your case, _Naruto thought, gazing at him determinedly and chewing his unused pencil.

At the end of the lecture Sasuke didn't wait around as he normally did. In a reverie he started leaving with Naruto, saying nothing, wearing no expression. Naruto almost began to worry but as they passed the door Sasuke was called back.

"Sasuke!" The lecturer called, concern etched across his features.

_A little informal for a teacher_, Naruto frowned. Sasuke stopped and looked up and back but did not reply. Naruto stayed where he was, almost feeling that it was his duty to stay by Sasuke. The lecturer gave him a look out of the corner of his expressive eyes that held every signal of mistrust. Naruto folded his arms across his chest defensively.

"Sasuke, is something wrong?"

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sasuke's eyes were glazed, unseeing. He looked drained.

_Sensei?_

"Sensei?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

Sasuke blinked, clearing his vision, "I'm fine. What business is it of yours, anyway?"

Naruto held his breath. Dr. Kakashi Hatake, to Naruto, looked almost wounded. A shadow passed over his face before he blinked it away and smiled meekly.

"None, indeed. If you're as fine as you say I won't bother you." As he said this he shot Naruto another squinted look of suspicion, "Mr. Uzumaki, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded, a fixed expression of distrust in his eyes. Kakashi said nothing more but turned away and picked up his papers. The session was clearly over.

Sasuke briskly left the hall and Naruto followed, trying to comprehend the last few moments but giving up.

"I don't want your pity, slacker." Sasuke said suddenly. Naruto was baffled, could he read his mind? "I'm not some charity case that you think you can take on. I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself."

"Sasuke, what are you talking about?" Naruto said.

"Don't try and protect me. Don't ever think about doing that bodyguard routine again."

"I wasn't trying to…" Naruto started but Sasuke cast a hand in a sharp gesture for Naruto to shut up and turned and stalked away. Naruto hesitated and then rushed after him saying nothing when he reached his side and matched his pace. They walked home in silence.

* * *

"Practice!" Was the first thing Naruto heard as he entered the house and was confronted by an excited looking Kiba. 

"Practice what?" Naruto said pulling a face and beginning to wonder if everyone he lived with was mad.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already?" Kiba replied raising an eyebrow questioningly. Naruto looked blank.

"The band! We have an audition tomorrow morning, remember?" Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Oh! Oh yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, "Shit?"

"Big steaming pile of camel shit."

* * *

AN: Not quite sure why it was camel shit. Seems like something that might steam I guess… although it's hot in the desert and you don't generally see steam coming from… normally dry and crusty… mumble, mumble… BUT ANYWAY! Yeah! Actually getting back to the real theme of the fic now. What's that? This story HAS a theme? YES IT HAS A THEME! The band, remember? Geez… Thanks again for the reviews! Love you lots and lots! Especially you.  



	5. Solid Foundations

AN: I apologise for the shortness of the last chap. This one should make up for it though!

Iceheart: Naan bread is a kind of indian bread most commonly eaten with curry. You get different kinds like mango or sultana ot just generally spicy. It's doughy and soft, about as thick as a CD case and as big as a normal sized forehead (so not Sakura's... or Sasuke's at the moment for that matter) . It's also v. yummy.

Sentai: LMFAO! Oh the mental image is priceless!

* * *

Chapter Five: _Solid Foundations_

Naruto crammed guitar-ing much harder than he ever crammed for exams. Kiba watched on, sitting cross-legged with Akamaru lying over his feet, on Naruto's bed, with growing admiration. He had cringed when Naruto had first started playing, sounding like a prepubescent punk star wannabe, but steadily and surely Naruto warmed up and Kiba noted the increasing speed of the chord transitions and the intense look in his concentrated eyes. He was no Hide, or Brian May but Naruto was surprisingly good: Much better than he claimed to be. There were a lot of songs he played that Kiba had never heard before but by the utter absorption of Naruto and his guitar he suspected that they were perfectly performed. And for a moderately inexpensive guitar it played very nicely. Kiba also made a note of the Japanese make. There were a lot of things he wanted to ask Naruto but he dared not interrupt him.

He finally gave up after two straight hours, rolled off his desk chair and lay splayed out on the floor on his back breathing slightly heavier than usual.

"Why did you say you couldn't play?" Kiba's first question came after a few moments, his ears fuzzy from the sudden stop of sound but not quite ringing.

Naruto didn't answer him but continued to stare at the ceiling.

"You customized that Pacifica yourself, didn't you?" Came the second question.

"Yes." Naruto answered tiredly.

"Then you obviously know a fair amount about guitars?"

Naruto sighed and replied again, "Enough."

"Why did you say you couldn't play?" Kiba asked again.

Naruto paused, "There's a difference between being able to play and being able to play well."

"Naruto, you're fantastic!" Kiba cried exasperatedly. But Naruto kept staring at the ceiling with his wide oceanic blue eyes.

Kiba looked at the orange-painted Yamaha guitar thoughtfully. The finish was expertly and lovingly applied. It wasn't just a slap on paintbrush job, the original finish would have been stripped, and the wood sanded, the neck and fingerboard removed and then the body would have been spray-painted.

"I guess…" Naruto started and Kiba turned back to him, "I guess I thought I wouldn't be able to play after so long."

Kiba waited for him to develop on this more but he didn't.

"When was the last time you played?" Kiba asked.

"A long time ago." Naruto said heavily, "You know…" He sat up and ruffled up his hair to keep it off his face, "I didn't want to dig up my demons. That guitar's like a partly formed scar. You prod it and it tears open afresh and you get blood all over your hands."

"That's a morbid way of looking at it."

"Accurate is a better word. I'm hungry, what are you doing for food?"

Kiba shrugged, Uzumaki Naruto was far more interesting than he had previously thought. Shikamaru would be pleased. _Of course, he probably already knew that,_ Kiba reflected.

"I feel… like junk food. Order a pizza?" Naruto grinned at him and Kiba grinned back.

"Definitely."

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next morning he felt like he had lead weights taped to his eyes. He glanced groggily at the clock on his bedside table, then swung his legs out of bed into the increasingly cold room like a slap to the face and almost fell over his guitar in its case on the floor. 

"You!" Naruto aimed an angry finger at it, "You're just out to get me, you annoying piece of painted tree!"

"Love it." Sasuke's now overly familiar drawling voice said from the doorway.

"Get lost, Butt-face, I'm not in the mood." Naruto said placidly, pulled his dressing gown on and walked past him and downstairs where he met an already fully clothed Kiba pulling his breakfast out of the microwave, "Why didn't you wake me up!" Naruto wailed.

"I'm not your wake up boy! That's what Uchiwank is here for." Kiba smiled evilly, obviously proud of his nickname that he had probably been waiting to use for any number of days.

Naruto ignored him, "What time do we have to be there?"

"In half an hour."

Naruto ran upstairs at this and almost collided into Ino as she came woozily out of her bedroom.

"Watch it!" she shrieked but Naruto was already hurtling into his room to fling on any clothes that he could find in his mad rush and drag his guitar downstairs.

"Got any socks?" Was the next thing he asked Kiba, who sighed and traipsed upstairs to lend him some.

By the time they left the house they had fifteen minutes to get to the university building, which was a twenty minute walk away, and then find the music block. Half an hour later they were scanning the plaque on the wall for Studio 23 when someone called to them from above.

"Oi!" It said. Kiba and Naruto looked up and squinted against the bright grey sky to a head and arm leaning out of a window three floors up.

"Shikamaru!" Kiba called up, "How the hell do we get up there?"

"Use a ladder!" Shikamaru called distantly, "Or I'll let down my long hair, you decide!"

"Har har!" Kiba called sarcastically.

"Sorry, what was that? Did you say hair?"

"Give us directions, bastard!"

Shikamaru audibly sighed "So troublesome. Alright, hang on." His head disappeared inside the window.

Naruto mouthed a, "What the hell?" to Kiba who rolled his eyes and lifted his hands in bemusement. Two minutes later Shikamaru re-emerged from the room that they assumed was Studio 23 and dropped something from the window at their feet.

"Have fun…" He called in bored tones and disappeared again.

Naruto picked up the piece of paper that was lying at his feet weighted with a coin tied to it with an elastic band. He untied it and opened it out. A roughly sketched but detailed map of a building displaying three floors, a staircase and three stick figures with name tags and funny expressions.

"He's not normally like this." Kiba said apologetically. Naruto, however, was not daunted by the prospect of following the bright red arrows on the map, or even offended by his stick figure with a squinty face and spiky hair. He was, in fact, starting to feel that this audition had been a good idea after all.

"Let's go!" He said and they walked through the doors to the left of the plaque. They followed the arrows on the map upstairs and round a corner, almost ducking as the map indicated a swinging axe that didn't exist, up another flight of stairs and through a set of swinging doors. People were giving them shifty looks as they indulged in the drawing and avoided marked booby-traps. They eventually found the door marked 23, which, for some reason, was not in between 22 and 24 but somewhere near a door marked SOUND BOX and another marked 14.

"X marks the spot!" Naruto grinned as he pushed open the door to find Shikamaru sitting on an amp in a large barren room with heavy white curtains hanging along all four walls, and writing in a notepad.

"'Morning." He said and closed the book with a little 'clap', "How can I help you?"

Kiba ignored him and walked over to the Pearl drum kit to the side of the room muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Ahhh, my babies, I've missed you so." Naruto watched him with a raised eyebrow until he realised that Shikamaru was still waiting for a greeting.

"Oh, hi! Long time no see…" Naruto grinned at him. Shikamaru paused and then smiled slightly.

"I see you've already met Kiba?" He said at length.

"Yeah, I live with him." Naruto laughed and then realised what his sentence must have sounded like and corrected himself, "I mean, we're housemates. I had no idea he was auditioning."

"Well…" Shikamaru dragged out, "I wouldn't exactly call it an audition anymore. You're the only two that have and will turn up. So I just have to decide whether to give up on the idea or find out if you two are any good. But even then we don't have a singer or second guitar."

Naruto and Kiba didn't know how to react to this statement and exchanged glances. Shikamaru sighed deeply.

"Play anything you like, Uzumaki, and we'll see if Kiba's competent enough to give you a back beat."

"Um, ok…" Naruto mumbled and unzipped his guitar case. He hated the way it felt like unleashing the demon every time he saw the orange instrument. He already knew which song he would play. He could see Kiba twitching with anticipation as he sat on the stool and held the drumsticks lovingly. He began to wonder why he didn't feel more nervous about letting another person hear what he had tried so hard to forget about. He plugged the cord into the amp Shikamaru had removed himself from. He now stood jaded and a little forlornly at the window he must have greeted them from.

Naruto's hand slid up the neck and he slipped the strap over his own and pulled his transparent green plectrum out of his back pocket and held it between his teeth while he check the tuning, knowing that there wouldn't be a string out of place. He took the plectrum between thumb and forefinger and ran his hand over the fingerboard before fixing tense fingers on strings in his first chord. He glanced first at Shikamaru who showed him little interest and then at Kiba who gave him thumbs up.

"Haruka Kanata…" Naruto murmured. And then made the first two chord bashes of the song, Kiba picked up instantaneously on the next two. Sliding his hand up, to create the next progression Naruto felt the energy he grew addicted to so many years ago. Kiba was amazing, as to be expected, perhaps he knew the song. Naruto forgot he was in the room, forgot Kiba was playing that awesome beat and just played for the sheer love of the music and the shudder up his arm and through his whole being. He played through the whole song, start to finish, and could barely stop himself from playing more. He tore his cramped hand away from the frets, put the plectrum back in his pocket and swallowed. When he looked up Shikamaru was staring at him thoughtfully. Kiba sniffed.

"You'll do." Shikamaru said simply, "Both of you. Absolutely fine." Naruto breathed and Kiba grinned smugly, "Now we just need to find a bastard singer and guitarist!"

"Two down, two to go?" Kiba said.

"Or one to go." Naruto suggested ominously.

* * *

After a heavy lunch in the student bar and light conversation, Naruto left the other two to reminisce about the first year and Kiba's ex-girlfriends and walked home listening to music, resisting the urge to play air guitar as he made his way down the road to his street. He definitely felt happier than he had for a longer time than he cared to remember. 

Swinging his guitar off his shoulder to get at his door key, Naruto was aware of a drop in temperature and he looked up to see billowing black rain clouds sweeping across the sky above the house.

"Give me a break!" He muttered as he pushed the front door open and stooped inside just as thunder rumbled and a torrent of rain poured from the heavens. Inside the house was dark and cold and still. Not a visible light was on. It felt like a home deserted for a holiday and returned to after with minds still full of sun, sea and sand. He could hear music coming from Sakura's room so he knew the place wasn't abandoned, so why the weighty atmosphere? He switched the lights on and decided to get upstairs and ask her.

Knocking on her door lightly proved futile but Naruto was not about to barge in on her again. He knocked loudly. The music was turned off.

"Yes?" She asked timidly. Naruto poked his head around the door and greeted her, "Oh, it's you!" Relief showed on her face that Naruto thought he would never see in such a context, "I thought you were Sasuke." Naruto was even more confused.

"Why would that be a problem?" He asked.

Sakura pulled a face and ushered him in and to close the door. She sat at her desk, pink hair tied into a messy ponytail, a book open in front of her that she was paused in writing notes from.

"He's in the worst mood I've ever seen anyone be in!" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low, "You'd think someone had just died, it's like a morgue in here! He's either wandering around like a zombie with a hangover or hiding in his room. You can almost see the black mists curling out from under his door…"

Naruto was beginning to feel progressively guilty and despised himself for it, "Why didn't you go out?"

"Here's the stupid thing, I felt bad about leaving him on his own!"

Naruto knew exactly what she meant, _Manipulative sod,_ "Have you spoken to him at all?"

"Only once this morning and he gave me one of those death glares. I don't know what to do! You're a guy, you go talk to him!"

"Why me? Why not Kiba?" Naruto whined.

"Because Kiba's not here, dufus!"

Naruto sighed, "I've got no choice, have I?"

Sakura shook her head, sucked on the end of her pencil and gazed at him imploringly. And Naruto thought Sasuke could be manipulative. He scratched the back of his head, exhaled noisily and left the room. As he made his way to Sasuke's room he understood what Sakura had been talking about. The doorway practically emanated brooding.

_It's only stupid Sasuke,_ he reminded himself, _what's he going to do, kill me with eye beams? Garrotte me with his lack of vocabulary?_

He knocked firmly on his door and spoke his name. He didn't wait for a reply because he felt he owed him no discretion and opened the door. The room was dim as the only light that entered it was from the darkening daylight behind half-heartedly drawn curtains.

"Sasuke." Naruto said shortly.

"Did you have a good day?" His purring voice replied in the gloom.

"Yes, I did, thank you. Kiba and I auditioned for a band."

There was a pause and Naruto's eyes tried to focus in the darkness.

"Did you get in?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes."

"Then you _have _had a good day…" He said sneeringly.

Naruto tapped the light switch on the wall and the room lit up. Sasuke sat on the floor against his bed running string through and around his fingers methodically. He didn't flinch but looked slowly up at Naruto who fixed him with a look of wry amusement.

"Grow up, Sasuke." He said bitingly. Sasuke curled his lip in fury.

"A bit rich coming from you."

"Whatever, I really don't care." Naruto shrugged, arms folded across his chest.

Sasuke glared and then attached his attention to the string again. Naruto watched him for a short while.

"Get up." He said finally.

"What."

"I said get up, we're going out. You shouldn't be holed up here twenty-four/seven."

Sasuke looked at him blankly.

"Get up!" Naruto gestured. Sasuke sighed and relented, discarding the string on his bed.

"Where are you planning on going?" He grumbled.

"I don't know, I haven't decided yet." Naruto grinned.

"And it's thundering outside."

"It doesn't matter, we're going out."

Sasuke looked at him as if he were mad which Naruto decided was more than a little hypocritical.

* * *

When they returned from the cinema later that night after officially the worst film ever, dripping all over the hall carpet and carrying white Chinese takeaway bags, Sasuke's own dark cloud had petered to a miserable mist. Naruto considered his mission accomplished and, when the other housemates joined them in the lounge with the plastic containers containing their meal on their knees and a cheesy reality show on TV, Sakura mouthed a "How the hell?" to Naruto who smiled and shrugged. It surprised him how much he had actually enjoyed himself that night. 

It was well past midnight before they gave up channel surfing and started heading off to their comfortable beds.

"Shiky wants to meet up on Sunday for a band practice." Kiba said to Naruto before he went into his room.

"What are we going to do about the singer etcetera?"

Kiba yawned and shook his head, "Dunno. See you tomorrow!" He lurched into his room. Naruto rubbed his eyes and went into the bathroom to wash before he went to bed.

When he went into his room ten minutes later the light was off even though he was sure he'd left it on. He reached for the light switch and flicked it on momentarily before a hand pressed his own and turned it off again and closed the door against which he was pinned by an unmistakable identity. Warmth covered him and soft lips met his own but he didn't struggle. His chest burned with another unfamiliar sensation and he kissed back, not understanding why but feeling something so utterly incomparable that it couldn't be resisted. He felt ravenous and ravished. Sasuke was pressed against him so hard he could feel his ribs move with his short gasps for breath. Something wet fell against his cheek and then another on his collarbone. Sasuke's chest felt tighter, the gasps were infrequent spasms, the hands that pinned him down clutched painfully and the kiss turned into quivering kisses. Naruto freed his hands and wrapped his arms around his trembling shoulders and his fingers in his silken hair.

"Sasuke." He murmured and tried to kiss away the tears running down the face so close to his own.

Sasuke pulled away and Naruto barely resisted a whimper.

"Sasuke!" Naruto took his arm in the dark that moments earlier had seemed comforting but now left him entirely alone. Sasuke took it away roughly and stumbled back.

"Don't touch me. Forget everything that just happened." Sasuke snarled viciously, "It was a mistake. A slip. If you mention it again I'll kill you." Even though Naruto could hear the tears falling in his words he did not reach for him again. The icy chill in his stomach was back and all he could so was stare into the shadows and try and make out a face in the light emanating from the doorframe.

Sasuke reached for the door handle beside Naruto who held the door shut. Naruto looked at him as a shaft of light hit the side of his face, it was shimmering wet and foreign. His visible eye flicked to meet his own, glistening yet lifeless and Naruto moved silently out of his way to let him escape.

* * *

AN: Ooh, longest chapter so far. A kiss at last! It's all those crazy psychopathic hormones flying about. NEED RELEASE! Damn Sasuke, messing it all up. Give _you_ a slap. All he wants is a teddy but Naruto just doesn't understand. Silly puffin. Actually I think a teddy is a bit of an understatement. Sasuke wants therapy more than anything. 


	6. A Limb for a Limb

AN: This chapter answers a question that alot of people have asked! I won't give that away though...

Momochi Zabuza: Well aren't you an interesting one? XD! Well! I'm not going to spoil anything. You'll find out about Neji later. I'm planning more with him in the future, haven't got that far yet... don't get your hopes up though.

FlameAlchemist: Quiet, usuratonkachi. looks around shiftily

oOKeairaOo: You are my new best friend! Of course it's alright to find psycho-Sasuke sexy! Ooh that sentence just rolls off the tongue.

* * *

Chapter Six: _A Limb for a Limb_

The weekend went by as speedily as weekends always do: far too fast. The first rehearsal came and went without much development. They still had too few members and it was hard to practice without a singer. All the same, Shikamaru had given them tabs and words to a song he had composed in the summer. Naruto supposed it must be his dream to have it performed but Kiba assured him that Shikamaru didn't really have dreams. Nonetheless, Naruto practiced diligently and Kiba spent a lot of time up at the music block with his only available drum kit. He had failed to persuade Sakura or Ino to let him bring his own into the garage but this made little difference as his parents also refused to take them to him.

Naruto and Sasuke went back into their usual routine of short remarks and blank looks and, however much he wanted to, Naruto said nothing about the Friday night.

If anything much had changed it was the weather. The days were shorter, the nights were longer and both were bitingly cold. Autumn was now definitely over, the leaves were brown mush in the gutter and Naruto was finding it very difficult not to go into hibernation. Dragging himself up and getting himself out was harder than ever. If there was any consolation it was that most other people were visibly not much better. Sasuke, however, was much the same as always.

The next Friday came and went and then the next. Naruto and Kiba were getting edgy as Shikamaru became more dismal. Naruto was now certain that there was more meaning to this band for Shikamaru than just a simple hobby. As Naruto sat in his room after the last rehearsal, holding his guitar but playing nothing and considering the gloomy prospect of having to give everything up he heard something that made his ears prick.

"No… No way." He muttered under breath, glued to the stool. Kiba burst into the room and they stared at each other, eyes wide. Not needing to say anything Naruto flung his guitar on his bed and he and Kiba dashed to the source of the sound, pausing to check that it wasn't just their desperate imaginations before collapsing in on their prey that looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a moving monster truck.

"YOU BASTARD!" Kiba cried ecstatically, laughing and hanging off Sasuke's neck, who appeared frozen with shock and bewilderment, "You absolute bastard! I could kiss you right now, I really could!"

"Please don't…" Sasuke said worriedly and glanced at Naruto who was trying desperately not to smirk.

"Oh, this is awesome!" Kiba shrieked, his hands to his head excitedly, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you what?" Sasuke said, perplexity and a trace of irritation hinted across his brow as he put the pile of books he was holding on a shelf.

"That you could sing." Naruto smiled. Sasuke gave him his usual blank look.

"Why would I say something like that?" He grumbled.

"You're such a butt!" Kiba wailed, "You knew damn well how badly we need a singer for the band and you didn't say anything!"

"Oh, that." Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued to shelve more books.

Kiba gave Naruto a mortified look.

"Sasuke, please would you consider it? You're basically our last chance…" Naruto tried.

"The band is doomed without you!" Kiba moaned melodramatically.

"Then it was doomed from the start." Sasuke put bluntly.

"Please, please, please with a cherry on top?"

Sasuke glared. The conversation was closed and Kiba trailed out miserably.

"You won't even give it a try?" Naruto said but Sasuke remained stonily silent and carried on shelving. Naruto sighed and then smiled with ironic amusement, "Why were you singing in the first place? It's not a very Sasuke thing to do…" He didn't expect a reply and he didn't get one. He gave a thoughtful laugh and left Sasuke to his solitude.

* * *

Kiba continued to pester Sasuke for the next few days and even got the girls involved until a threat was made about Akamaru, the details of which Naruto never managed to force from Kiba. From then on Kiba would just give him evils and keep his dog in sight at all times. 

Naruto sat in his room, reading up for a looming essay and listening to his favourite band of the week through headphones when Sasuke walked in and collapsed on his bed. He vaguely considered the fact that no one in the house seemed to know how to knock before he sighed and took his headphones out.

"I think you missed your room by one door." He said smoothly but wasn't disappointed by the lack of response. He continued to read with his back to the bed.

"Would it really mean that much to you?" Sasuke said after a moment.

"Would what?" Naruto asked, pausing on the sentence he was reading.

"You know." Sasuke groaned.

"I think so but I want you to say it." Naruto grinned. Sasuke threw a comb at him. Naruto retaliated with an eraser, "So you'll do it? You'll sing for us?" He laughed.

"Maybe. I play guitar as well." Sasuke smiled smugly.

"You really are such a bastard!"

"Well, I try my best." He grinned wolfishly. Naruto wanted to leap on him and eat him up, wolf him down and tear him to pieces. But he wasn't quite sure how the raven-haired boy would react to that. He could feel the red glow brushing his cheekbones and buried his face in his book. It annoyed him how just a simple look could set his insides burning.

"Is there a problem?" He asked, as Naruto smelt the ink on the pages of the book.

"No. No problem at all." _Yes! Yes, you're the problem!_

"Are you happy?"

Naruto was startled by the question. He put his book down and gave Sasuke a questioning look. He was playing with the broken fox figurine again and not meeting his gaze. The gorgeous, heart-stopping smile was gone.

"Yes. Yeah, I think so." Naruto said unsurely.

Sasuke put the fox back again and stood up.

"Good." He said, straightening out his black shirt, "I'm glad I could make you happy." He said with his usual bland tone but for once Naruto believed he meant it. He crossed to the door.

"Sasuke."

"Rehearsal this Sunday?"

Naruto hesitated, trying to get his head around the Uchiha. He smiled and nodded.

* * *

Shikamaru was not noticeably pleased but the depressing attitude was gone and his old sharp eyes had returned with the bored mannerisms when the three of them entered Studio 23 that Sunday. Naruto suspected that he was interested in his new study case already but he asked, or more accurately ordered Sasuke to audition anyway. Naruto was surprised that Sasuke didn't argue with this. He took out his own guitar that he had successfully hidden from both Naruto's and Kiba's prying eyes until that morning and barely needed an audition afterwards. The deep blue Strat would not have been owned by anyone that couldn't play, no matter how rich. Even Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. 

Naruto instantly recognised the song he played as X-Japan's "Kurenai" but he and Kiba were not expected to play along. As he started up with the slow intro and English lyrics Naruto could tell that Shikamaru was only partially impressed. Sasuke had a deep melodic voice, entirely unique and hearing him now was incomparable to the muffled tune that Naruto and Kiba had heard through a closed door. Naruto felt the goose bumps rising on his arm with the fizzing resonance of his tone but the guitar part, although accurate was not impressive.

_Just wait,_ Naruto thought.

He finished the intro and let the last note fade before he started up on the fast paced verse and chorus and singing in what was obviously his native tongue. He played one verse and chorus before skipping to the intricate guitar solo where Naruto couldn't keep himself from grinning like a fool. He played much better than he could. He had the potential to be as good as Hide ever was and sang much better. But there was not an ounce of resentment in the fact. Naruto always knew he would be the rhythm player. Shikamaru actually began to watch as he played, although no emotion graced his features.

Sasuke finished with the crescendo and ran his hand through his hair to bring it back off his face.

"Will I do?" He asked when the guitar chord faded.

Shikamaru jumped off the window ledge where he was perched and dusted down his trousers, "You'll do. I guess we have a band."

"Finally!" Kiba cried.

* * *

That night they went out for an, aptly titled by Kiba, "Bondage Binge" where Naruto spent a large percentage of his next week's grocery fund on drinks and curly fries of which he became addicted after the first three double vodka and cokes. 

"More fried curlies!" Naruto exclaimed after finishing his fourth bowl that Sasuke had stolen more than a third of. Sasuke was solely drinking red wine and steadily talking more and more. Naruto hoped in his drunken state that he would remember most of what everyone had been saying, especially Sasuke who was acting like his drinks were truth serum and being incredibly tactless.

"You know…" He screwed up his eyes trying to remember, "Sakura?"

"Yes. She lives with us!" Kiba said, stealing a handful of Naruto's fries.

"Well, she told me the other week that she loved me." Sasuke raised his eyebrows and nodded watching the response. Naruto choked.

"And you said…?" Shikamaru said, swilling his whisky.

"I said she was annoying, which she is, and ignored her."

Sasuke didn't seem to notice the uncomfortable silence that followed and downed the rest of his glass. But reflecting on it Naruto realised why he had said it. He wasn't trying to paint a picture of himself. He wanted them to know he was heartless. _Whether he is or not is a different story…_Naruto mused.

Like this they all seemed to get on pretty well. At quarter to midnight they ambled home in the freezing cold which they linked arms to avoid and tried not to fall over each other's feet. They got halfway there before Shikamaru pointed out that he didn't live with them and almost collapsed with laughter. They walked back up to the main shopping street where they eventually hailed a cab. It took them three attempts as Kiba kept on sending them Nazi salutes before Naruto realised and clobbered him. They bundled Shikamaru in and sent him on his way, then the remaining three stumbled back down to their own house singing "We are the Champions" very loudly and causing dogs to bark.

They fell through the door when Sasuke unlocked it, singing "Livin' on a Prayer" and then shushing one another so as not to wake the girls. They went into the kitchen and started to make coffee, Sasuke bitching loudly about the amount of washing up that no one ever did. Coffee in hand, they went to the lounge and tried to sober up. Kiba left after five minutes to go to the toilet, taking his coffee with him.

"You glad you joined the band then?" Naruto smiled, burning his hands on his coffee mug, which he put on the table next to him.

Sasuke nodded and sipped his, "Nara's a weirdo." He stated.

"He does psychology."

"He said."

There was a pause where Naruto inspected a stain on the arm of the chair.

"Kiba hasn't come back." He said.

"Good. Kiba's a knob."

"Kiba's not a knob!" Naruto howled indignantly, "Just 'cause you don't have any friends doesn't mean you can slag off other people's."

Sasuke blinked into his coffee, "Yeah, you're right. Kiba's not a knob because he's your friend and I refuse to be friends with people whose friends are knobs." He said sarcastically.

"I don't get you." Naruto clutched his head.

"Then you're just one more person in the world."

Naruto glared at him through squinted eyes. "Actually, no. Scrap that. I think I know you better than anyone. You're an arrogant bastard that likes to screw people over for shits and giggles and then mope around about it like you're some tortured soul." Naruto picked up his coffee again.

Sasuke said nothing.

Naruto sighed and stared at his mug, "But that's not really what _I _think of you. I think you're lost. You don't know how to let yourself like someone in case they reject you and that makes you desperately lonely. You push people away before they get too close to you because you think that they'll just end up hurting you." Naruto said into his coffee, "But I also think you're an arrogant bastard that mopes around like a tortured soul."

Sasuke laughed. Naruto could see his wet eyes.

"Maybe you should have taken psychology…" He grinned, an angry tear streaking down his cheek. Naruto carefully put his coffee on the floor and crossed over to the sofa that Sasuke was sitting on sideways. He took his coffee mug gingerly from his hands and placed that on the floor as well. Sasuke didn't look him in the eye as more tears fell that he couldn't contain, whether it be from the drink or not Naruto didn't care.

"If I had I wouldn't have known you." Naruto said. Sasuke hid his face in his hands and Naruto wrapped his arms around him, "So you can't push me away anymore because I know you."

"Just leave me alone…" Sasuke sobbed bitterly, "I should never have got you involved. I should have taken my name off that damn list as soon as I met you."

Naruto pulled his hands away and kissed him, wiping his tears away with his thumbs as Sasuke bit his lip in anger but didn't turn his head. The tears disappeared as Naruto pushed him down into the sofa, his head resting on the arm and his face against Naruto's hands, his chest rising and falling underneath his, his knee riding up between his legs. He ran a hand underneath the back of Naruto's shirt, loving the vulnerability of his position. The burning feeling grew and fuzzed like bad TV reception inside Naruto as Sasuke arched his back and caused their stomachs to touch. Naruto's kiss plunged.

They froze as the door clicked open and a feminine voice said, "Sasuke?"

* * *

AN: MWAHAHAHA! Oh lord, what now! You'll just have to find out next chap! Earlier when Naruto and Kiba heard "the noise" I was so tempted to have them screaming "ICE-CREAM!" and run outside to an ice-cream truck. 

I suppose I had also better explain the reference to X-Japan and Hide. Real band, real person, however dead. I could give a long-winded history about them but I won't bore you.

X-Japan an old J-rock band. They broke up and the guitarist Hide (prn: Hee-deyh) went on to have a solo career. He had (and has) a HUGE fan following because he not only was an awesome guitarist but also because he looked so damn cool! He commit suicide in 1996 and there is now a museum dedicated solely to him.

You can get a sample of X from if you're interested...

(or me...)


	7. An Extra Pillow

AN: Sorry it took me longer than usual to update. I'm going to have to slow down on the updating because I'm catching up to myself and I've had to rewrite chapter 14! Blah! Plus I have ALOT of work to do that I've been delaying for as long as possible. But if you feel like reading something literarily stunning I recommend a book called "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami. Reading at atm. VERY good but that might just be my taste... I have weird tastes...

But anyway, on a Narulated subject: Does anyone think lil' Sasuke is the cutest thing that was ever created in the whole world ever! cough Well now I've got that out of my system I'll let you read the fic:

* * *

Chapter Seven: _An Extra Pillow_

Naruto rolled off onto the floor as Sakura covered her mouth over a muffled: "Oh my God" and ran out.

Frozen in indecision, they moved not an inch and said nothing.

"Well, shit." Sasuke had the nerve to laugh.

"It's not funny!" Naruto wailed and scrambled onto his feet to follow her out.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke said anxiously.

"After her! In case you'd forgotten she did actually declare her undying love for you!"

Sasuke wrinkled his nose and muttered, "I wouldn't call it undying…"

Naruto sighed in exasperation and went after her, the affects of alcohol coming back with a vengeance as he stumbled up the stairs. He knocked on her door softly and waited for a reply. When none came he tried again.

"Sakura?"

"Go to hell!"

Naruto rubbed his face uneasily, "Sakura, will you just hear me out?"

"Piss off, I never even want to see your disgusting face again."

Naruto winced and heard Ino shout for them to shut up from the room next to Sakura's. "You're being unreasonable." He said.

The door opened roughly and her angry tearful face glowered at him.

"Oh really? You think I'm being unreasonable? How can you possibly understand how I feel right now? You're such an idiot! I hate you! You've ruined my life!" She slammed the door in his face.

"Yeah, 'cause that's not being unreasonable…" Naruto grumbled under his breath.

"She'll get over it." Sasuke said, sitting on the top step behind Naruto.

"You'd better be right."

"You know I am. I'm always right."

"Shut the fuck up!" Ino yelled through the wall.

* * *

As usual, Naruto woke to the incessant bleeping of the alarm in the bedroom adjoining his own. He groaned and attempted to pull the duvet over his head but was stopped by an unintelligible force. The force shifted and groaned.

"Get up." It said and wrapped its limbs around him.

"Sasuke! What the hell are you doing?" Naruto cried, trying to piece together his memory of the night before and not remembering at any point consciously sharing a bed. This worried him.

"Getting you up."

Naruto didn't appreciate the way the sentence was phrased as Sasuke leant across and kissed his collarbone before pushing him off the bed.

"Actually, what I meant was, why are you in my bed?" Naruto said, nursing his elbow. Sasuke's face appeared, hovering off the edge of the bed above him, shrugged nonchalantly and flashed a smile.

"I couldn't sleep last night," He said and sat up, scratching the back of his head, "I wanted your smell."

Naruto realised how cold he was and grabbed a T-shirt hanging off the back of his chair, in the process realising his state of undress: the state of undress that he had shared with Sasuke in his bed.

"You're a really heavy sleeper." Sasuke continued, rolling back the sheets to let the bed breathe, "Although, to be fair, I wasn't trying to wake you up."

A knocking came at the door but Sasuke made no attempt to be inconspicuous.

"Naruto? Are you up?" Kiba's groggy voice came through the door. Naruto gave Sasuke a meaningful look but he firmly ignored him, "Naruto?"

"Yeah." He exhaled.

Kiba poked his head around the door, "Sorry I didn't come back last night, I conked out on the bathroom floor, woke up at four in the morning and dragged myself into bed. Why didn't I remember that I have a lecture at ten? I think I might give it a miss…" He rubbed his eye and then frowned, "What are you doing on the floor? And why is Sasuke on your bed?"

"Couldn't honestly say…" Naruto sighed.

"Man, we were so pissed." Kiba laughed and then grimaced, "I'm going back to bed. Don't wake me unless the house is burning down." He waved at Sasuke and left.

Sasuke tutted and shook his head, "Told you he's a knob."

Naruto tried to smother him with his pillow until Sasuke stopped struggling and fell still.

"Oh yeah, very funny." Naruto said sarcastically still holding the pillow over Sasuke's face, "Because that's very original!" He took the pillow off and was about to poke him in the eye when Sasuke grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

"Naruto, are you up? I just wanted to apologise about last night. I realise it was probably because you were drunk and everything so…" Sakura stepped into the room, took one look at Naruto straddling Sasuke's hips and walked back out. Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's t-shirt groaning, a sudden headache kicking in viciously.

* * *

Swallowing back pills and huddling into his duvet, Naruto watched a very quiet reality TV show on the sofa as he skived off his lecture. Sakura and Ino had gone out for a girly cheer-up shopping trip. As they had left Ino gave Naruto a very confused look over Sakura's shoulder and Naruto had all but jumped for joy. Sakura obviously hadn't told Ino what she had seen… twice. Kiba was still in bed and Sasuke was making toast. The bastard, for some God-given reason, didn't have a hangover but had skived off the lecture anyway to "look after" him. There had been no evidence of that yet.

Sasuke slunk in munching on his toast, the smell of which causing Naruto to feel very ill. He pulled the duvet over his head and tried to block out the aroma. Sasuke pulled it back and gave him a long dark look before walking out again saying nothing. Naruto glared hazily at the door.

Another ten minutes of "House Doctor" went by before Sasuke returned with an unsettling looking misty drink.

"You're not expecting me to drink that are you?" Naruto questioned Sasuke as he offered him the glass.

"Yes."

"You could at least tell me what's in it." Naruto said, not taking the drink.

"No." Sasuke smirked, "If I told you, you definitely wouldn't drink it."

"What makes you think I'm going to drink it at all?" Naruto cried, receiving a stab of pain to his temples.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Just take it."

Naruto took it from him warily and eyed it with distrust. Sasuke sat down next to him leisurely. Another few minutes went by.

"Drink it." Sasuke said, flicking through the channels.

"I don't wanna…" Naruto winged.

"I have ways of making you." Sasuke growled menacingly.

"Try me!"

Sasuke, with lightening speed, took the drink from his hands, grabbed Naruto's jaw roughly and poured the liquid down his throat. Naruto gagged.

"Oh God, it's rank!" He choked, his eyes watering.

"Stop being such a baby." Sasuke said, placing the empty glass on the coffee table.

"Dear lord, what's in that stuff!" Naruto rubbed his eyes.

"Do you feel better?" Sasuke tersely said, not answering his question.

Naruto blinked for bit and then looked around. His headache was subsiding, his stomach was calm and apart from the disgusting after taste in the back of his mouth he felt perfectly normal, if a little hungry.

"Actually, I do." He said, "Where'd you learn that trick from?"

"My mother." Sasuke replied sullenly, "I used to watch her make it a lot, towards the end I was always making it for her."

"Towards the end of what?" Naruto said.

Sasuke stared at the TV with blank eyes and then stood up, "You hungry?" He said. Naruto nodded.

When he left the room, Naruto realised with a growing guilt how stupid he had been. _I should really learn how to open my eyes, _he thought worriedly. He forced himself up off the sofa and went to find Sasuke in the kitchen. When he got there Sasuke was on his phone. He waited in the doorway, watching Sasuke's back.

"No, I'm not alone…" He was saying in bored tones, "Oh for- It's one lecture! What're you going to do, send me to bed without any dinner? You're not my father!"

He pulled his bangs back and turned and saw Naruto watching him. A flash of anger swept across his eyes.

"Whatever… No, of course not." He rumbled, "Yes. Ok."

Naruto heard the person on the other end say goodbye and then Sasuke hung up without returning the phrase.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked as Sasuke moved over to the fridge.

"Nothing." He said, "What do you want?"

Naruto stepped over and hugged his back, his arms around Sasuke's taut stomach, "Nothing at all."

* * *

Later that day Naruto met up with his personal tutor for a debriefing over coffee, or in Iruka's case, tea.

"How's the band going?" Iruka asked.

"Excellent. We're working on one of Shikamaru's songs at the moment and he says that he's trying to get us a gig at the student bar."

"Oh, good luck with that then!" Iruka said cagily.

"Yeah, it took us ages to get a singer-guitarist but we finally found one yesterday."

Iruka noted a wistful look in Naruto's eyes.

"Naruto, are you seeing anyone?" He asked suspiciously.

Naruto almost spat out his coffee, "Wh-what makes you say that?"

"Intuition." Iruka smiled wryly, "So, are you?"

"Well… Kind of." Naruto blushed into his cup but tried to hide it. It annoyed him how easily Iruka could read him, he could never keep a secret like that from him.

"What do you mean "kind of"?" Iruka said apprehensively, and when Naruto shrugged he continued with growing fear, "Don't tell me you're just _sleeping_ with them?"

"What kind of question is that!" Naruto said in amusement, "And it depends what you mean by sleeping with someone…" He trailed off, intentionally winding Iruka up.

Iruka held his face in his hands and groaned. Naruto laughed.

"No, I haven't even had sex with them." He said reassuringly, patting Iruka's head patronisingly.

"Oh thank god." Iruka breathed, "So who is the poor victim?"

Naruto snorted, "Secret. And if anyone's the victim it's me."

Iruka raised an eyebrow, "Will I ever meet them or are you going to elope and leave poor old lonely Iruka behind?"

Naruto shrugged and bit his lip. Iruka could see that Naruto was barred from revealing anything more so he changed the topic.

"A certain lecturer told me that you missed your session today." Iruka said, sipping his tea.

"Yeah…" Naruto said sheepishly, "I had a really bad hangover this morning."

"Naruto…" The personal tutor said in warning tones. His charge really could be so irresponsible. But looking at him with his big blue apologetic eyes and goofy grin, Iruka didn't have the heart to tell him off. Naruto just seemed so much happier at that meeting then he had at the last. In fact, he was happier than Iruka had seen him for a long time.

_This new girlfriend must really be doing him some good, _Iruka thought paternally.

* * *

AN: Oh, Iruka, how narrow sighted of you. No wonder Naruto hasn't told you who it is. Sakura, however, hee hee she makes me giggle so. Oh and for those of you thinking "How naughty! They're drinking underage!" I remind you that the legal age for purchasing alcohol in this country (being England) is 18. SO BOO SUX 2 U!11one


	8. The Emperor's New Clothes

AN: Prepare yourself for the largest amount of fluff I have ever written. I don't know what posessed me to write this. I guess I wanted a break from the usual angst. I didn't do very well... Everyone needs a little love. Even Sasuke. It was fun while it lasted…

In response to reviews: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so happy that people who don't normally review felt like they wanted to with this humble fic o' mine! Sorry I didn't reply to any last time and I also apologise for the static episode that was the last chapter. But please understand that every little thing has its meaning! I'm pedantic like that. I've told you before that I like teasing out details so just be patient! All will be explained in due time! Stop pressuring the author! I'm a very busy person! But other than that you must remember that I love writing this fic and getting your lovely reviews. You guys are so nice to me! (Wipes away a stray tear) Aw, who am I kidding? You just want the slutty SasuNaru action!

AlienYak (This reply applies to alot of other reviews too): Woah, thanks for all the reviews! Ha ha! Shikamaru playing keyboard! No, no, just wait and see... it's not v. exciting, I'm sure its quite obv. to a few people. Oh and to clear up the age thing. Naruto and Sasuke are both 20. This is touched upon later. If you know their birthdays this might confuse you... (looks mysterious). And also about Sasuke crying... yeah... it annoys me but I felt it necessary. He won't do it for a long while, if ever again. He certainly doesn't in what I've written so far...

oOKeairaOo: As always: I love you!

LadySamurai: Of course they will!

For all those that think the phone person was Itachi: Why does everyone assume that! Strange... Well, again, you'll find out soon enough...

Sorry for the uber long AN. Onto what you ACTUALLY want to read...

* * *

Chapter Eight: _The Emperor's New Clothes  
_

Later that week Shikamaru called a meeting over lunch for the band.

"Well, I have some good news and some bad news." He started once they had all ordered, "Which do you want to hear first?"

"Whichever." Naruto said. The others nodded.

"Ok, well, the good news is we have a gig at the Red Moon." Shikamaru said. Kiba gave a lone cheer, "The bad news is that it's two weeks away from tomorrow and we have to perform five songs."

"But we only have one, and it's not exactly perfect!" Naruto wailed.

"Indeed." Shikamaru sighed, "I figured that we could do two covers at the most and keep the song we're working on for the finale."

"But that sucks!" Kiba said angrily, "You must have some others lurking around?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "I barely do my assigned compositions let alone writing just for the heck of it."

"Well…" Naruto started and three pairs of eyes fixed on him, "I used to have a band back at school… I still remember some of the songs we had. They weren't brilliant but we're not really in a position to be picky, right?"

Shikamaru considered this, "You're right. We'll give them a shot. But we're going to have to practice most nights, people. Don't make any plans."

They murmured in accord.

* * *

The next two weeks went by faster than any of them expected. Sakura still refused to meet Naruto's eye and yet she treated Sasuke in the same way she had always done: with absolute adulation. Naruto often woke up with Sasuke warm breath on his neck and found it harder to cope with the mornings when it wasn't there. He was surprised that Kiba hadn't caught them yet, the amount of times he came in just after a compromising position, missing it by the skin of his teeth. Naruto began to wonder if Sasuke simply loved the excitement of a risk or just couldn't care less, either way Naruto constantly felt like he was on the edge of a knife. 

The band practices were, surprisingly, going along very well. Naruto's simple high school songs were easy enough to learn and catchy enough to work. He loved the way they sounded being played by people with a lot more skill than his old classmates. There wasn't a lingering doubt between them that they might not be ready.

The day of the gig came and Naruto began to feel the itches of nervousness. He woke up in the early hours of the morning panting and shivering from a bad dream about the performance. Sasuke was there soothing him, stroking his forehead and telling him to calm down as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hey, it's ok. It was just a dream." He said, "I thought you were having a fit! You scared me half to death."

Naruto watched the worry in his eyes glinting in the darkness as he tried to recover.

"Don't leave me." He gasped.

"I'm not going to! I'm staying right here."

Naruto took a deep breath, "In my dream. We were doing the gig but… but I couldn't play… I froze up… I forgot everything. And you guys were playing and looking at me but I couldn't do anything and the place was suddenly huge and there were thousands of people watching us, and they were jeering at me… and then you stopped playing and gave me this… this look of complete loathing, told me I was disgusting and we were on this big cliff and you just pushed me off… laughing…"

Sasuke stared at him in the darkness and then hugged him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"I'm not going to push you off any cliffs any time soon, you loser." He said into his neck, his fingers interlaced with Naruto's, "And you'll do fine tonight. It'll be perfect and everyone will love us." He kissed Naruto's top lip surely and Naruto snuggled into his side.

"'Night." He breathed, already falling back to sleep.

Sasuke lay awake right through till morning when he woke Naruto up and got dressed before the blonde had even opened his eyes.

"Why are you being so hasty?" Naruto moaned, squinting against the daylight as Sasuke opened the curtains, "We don't even have any lectures today."

Sasuke didn't reply and threw Naruto's jeans at him. Naruto watched him button up his shirt with interest. Sasuke caught his gaze.

"Get up." He said firmly, "We've got stuff to do."

"Really? What?" Naruto asked enthusiastically, leaning up on his elbow, "Is it fun stuff?"

Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed and stared up at the ceiling, "Maybe…"

Naruto pulled him back into his lap where he looked up at him. Naruto raised an eyebrow down at him, "And what is maybe supposed to mean?"

"In this case it means shut up and get up." Sasuke said with mild irritation.

"Ooh, why're you being all like… snotty?" Naruto put on a cheerleader voice poking Sasuke in the ribs.

"No reason." Sasuke shrugged, "Do that voice again."

"Totally no way!" Naruto cried in falsetto tones, "Get out!"

Sasuke grinned with amusement. Naruto had yet to hear his actual laughter. He'd hear a sardonic snigger now and then, but nothing that might portray any glimpse of happiness. Now he had a mission to accomplish.

"You watch too much television." Sasuke said accusingly.

"Oh my God, shut up! That's like way uncool, Sascake!"

"Sascake?" He opened his mouth in mock shock.

"Uchibuns Sascake!" Naruto screeched.

"Oh, now that's just too camp to be acceptable!" Sasuke said, his smile broadening.

"How about Itchywang Sasgay?"

A split second later Naruto found himself on the floor, looking at a shuddering mass of hair above him as Sasuke hid his face, and listening to an unfamiliar laugh. It didn't sound anything like his dream.

_Mission accomplished. _He thought and beamed, "Oww." He said.

"Never EVER call me that again." Sasuke wailed, sitting back on Naruto's legs, wiping his eyes and then standing up, "Now get up!"

Kiba walked in a few moments later when Naruto was doing up his jeans and Sasuke was sitting on his desk.

"Kiba!" Sasuke said, putting down the paperweight skull he was studying and jumping down off the desk, "Looking forward to tonight?"

Kiba glanced worriedly from Sasuke to Naruto.

"Are you drunk?" He asked Sasuke.

"No… Just excited."

"Naruto, who is this person?"

"Don't ask me, he just turned up here all happy and everything!" Naruto said through his t-shirt.

"What have you done with the real Sasuke?" Kiba asked Sasuke, fixing him with a suspicious look, "And will he ever come back? Because I think I prefer you."

Sasuke scowled.

"Oh, there he is." Kiba said disappointedly, "You scared the shit out of me for a second there!" He turned to Naruto, "I'm going out, is there anything you want picking up? Bread? Noodles? Lube?"

"Nah, I'm good, thanks. I'm going out later anyway."

"Oh right. Might see you down town then. Later!" Kiba saluted and walked out.

"Did he just say 'lube'?" Naruto asked Sasuke with wide eyes.

"I believe he did."

* * *

Naruto watched Sasuke stick his clothes in the washing machine that he was sitting on and whined despairingly, "I thought we were gunna do fun stuff!" 

"Did I say that?" Sasuke said. Naruto pouted, "Right. Then be quiet."

"Yes, Mother." Naruto muttered.

Sasuke turned around to get some more washing and Naruto took the opportunity to latch himself onto his back with his legs around his waist and his arms around his neck.

"Take me out! I'm bored!" He howled.

"Get the hell off me. You're heavy." Sasuke intoned forebodingly.

"Not unless you say you'll take me out!"

"Get off!"

"Nope!"

Ino walked past the laundry room door and then backtracked.

"What are you doing?" She said with her hands on her hips and pursed lips.

"Get him off me!" cried Sasuke.

"Naruto, down." Ino ordered.

Naruto skulked off his back despondently and Sasuke stretched.

"Good boy." She said and walked off.

Naruto watched her leave and then said, "Take me ou-ut!"

"I was going to! Shut up!"

"If you'd just said that to start off with I wouldn't have attacked you, you turd!" Naruto said exasperatedly, perching himself back on the washing machine.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so impatient. Move your leg." He replied, closing the door to the washing machine and turning it on.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so mean!" Naruto stuck his tongue out and then added, "Oh dear lord." as the washing machine whirred into action.

"Get off." Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I might just do that!" Naruto grinned mischievously at the double-entendre.

* * *

Naruto dug his hands firmly into his coat pocket and sulked as he walked into town with Sasuke. He was not prepared for what Sasuke had set in store for him, neither was he impressed. His childish behaviour did not, however, influence Sasuke's mood. He walked slightly ahead, off in his own world and, Naruto thought, probably thinking up new ways to torture him even more. He debated turning back many times but did not think this would be greatly approved of and he wasn't geared up for a face off. 

"Why can't I just borrow some of your clothes?" He whinged for the fifth time in the space of ten minutes.

"Because." Sasuke said promptly. This being the only answer that Naruto had gotten out of him.

"But clothes shopping is so… girly."

Sasuke paused in his walking. Naruto almost walked into him.

"I'm assuming you buy your own clothes?" Sasuke said finally, resuming his pace, Naruto at his side.

"Well, yeah. But I don't specifically go out on little trips with my girl-friends to buy sexy lingerie to cheer myself up."

"We're not buying you sexy lingerie." Sasuke grumbled, "And I'm not a girl. Do you want this gig to go well tonight or not?"

"Of course, but I don't see how my clothes will make any difference…"

"It's all part and parcel. The better you present yourself, the more people will like you."

"That's a very Japanese attitude." Naruto smiled.

"It's common sense." Sasuke said, having the last word as they crossed over into the main shopping street. Naruto felt his impending doom closing in on him as students, namely female students, wandered around gazing into shop windows and carrying bags named things like "Jane's", "Topshop" and "Typhoon".

"Please can I just borrow some of yours!" Naruto begged, refusing to move from the spot.

"And that isn't a girly thing to do?"

"It's less humiliating." Naruto mumbled and then added triumphantly, "And less expensive!"

"Money is not an issue." Sasuke said, grabbing his arm roughly and dragging him forward. Naruto whimpered pitifully, unable to come up with any more excuses. He allowed himself to be towed into a shop just off the corner of the street.

"Now look around or I'll just get stuff for you and make you wear it." Sasuke growled and disappeared behind a clothes rack, "And don't even think about buying blue jeans." His ominous voice floated away.

Naruto was lost five minutes into his browsing, both physically and mentally. He felt he was just going around in circles without actually turning in any one direction. The shirts all looked the same, the jacket sizes confused him even more and trousers were a nightmare. He wanted to just huddle up under a table like when he was four years old, hiding from the middle-aged women that pulled his face and constantly told his mother how they just wanted to "eat him all up". Looking back on it the phrase seemed rather sweet but at the time it had scared him witless. The women were like hideous, putrid-flower smelling monsters watching their prey and waiting for the moment when his mother's back was turned and they could swoop down and gobble him up.

Naruto almost jumped out of his skin when someone spoke to him behind his shoulder, bringing him forcefully out of his daydream.

"Are you alright, sir?" The person said softly, "You look a little lost."

The girl behind him had such pale eyes that Naruto thought for a moment that she must be blind, but as they met his own and flickered timidly away he could tell that she could see just as well as he could.

"I am very lost." Naruto admitted.

"Have you got anything in mind that you're specifically looking for?" She asked politely. Naruto wondered how long she had been working there, she didn't look much younger than himself and yet she seemed very proficient in her duties.

"I don't know. No really." Naruto sighed, the girl smiled helpfully at him, "Something for a band performance. Not too casual but definitely comfortable."

"A rock band?" She asked. Naruto nodded. She chewed her lip thoughtfully, "Then can I suggest some things?"

"Of course! I'm stumped."

She took a white shirt off a shelf beside her, handed it to him and then walked briskly off around the corner of a rack. Naruto hesitated and then followed her. She led him to a table covered with piles of jeans and corduroys of different colours and shades and selected a pair of dark grey jeans with faint lines of black down them. She placed two pairs of these in his arms.

"I think the top pair is your size but the second pair is a little longer just in case." She then chewed her lip again and walked off in another direction. Naruto followed her again, impressed by her attitude. Although he noticed that she still couldn't look him in the eye. She stopped by a rack of black jackets, her short black bob falling back into place perfectly, and twiddled the forefinger of her left hand between the thumb and forefinger of her right. She then made a negative murmur and turned to the rack behind her. She reached up to leaf through the hangers before taking one down. She hesitated.

"Is there a budget you have to stick to, sir?" She asked, folding the jacket in her arms. Naruto remembered Sasuke's words.

"No. No budget." Naruto said, feeling a vague twang of unsure guilt.

The girl handed him the jacket, "See what you think."

Sasuke chose that moment to reappear, gazing distractedly at the sales assistant.

"Where the hell have you been?" Naruto greeted him.

"Around." He said, shifting the position of his shoulder bag and tearing his eyes from the shy girl, "Found anything?"

"Miss…" Naruto glanced at the gold nametag on the girl's jacket, "…Hinata has been helping me. Well, that's a bit of an understatement. She basically chose everything for me. I'm so useless." Naruto paused, grinning sheepishly. He continued, "I was just about to try these on." He gestured at the pile of clothes in his arms with a nod of his head.

"That's nice." Sasuke said dryly, casting a dark look at the blushing Hinata, "Let's see them then."

He walked past Naruto and into a changing room that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. Naruto thanked Hinata and hurried after him, remembering that he was definitely not enjoying himself.

Feeling very self-conscious, Naruto took a cubicle to change in while Sasuke stood on sentry duty outside his curtain. He rather shamefully realised that this was the first time he had actually tried something on before buying it. He hated the way the curtain wouldn't close on one side without revealing a gap on the other, and the way the lighting made him look like he had a severe case of jaundice and florescent yellow hair. He glowered and hung up his coat at the start of his disrobement.

He smoothed the sleeves of his jacket approvingly and inspected his reflection in the full-size mirror. Hinata really knew her stuff. The pair that she had guessed would be his size was correct. He hadn't even needed to try the second pair. He would never have picked the combination out, simply because of pure ignorance alone. The open necked shirt underneath his half open jacket front looked sharp, clean and fresh but essentially casual. The moue high, straight collar of the fitted jacket was reminiscent of a Japanese boy's school uniform. The jeans broke up the formality of a shirt and jacket and tapered down into his old trainers. He was pleased with this style, now he just had to face the biggest critic. He stepped out from behind the curtain theatrically and ran a hand through the side of his hair, causing it to stick up on one side more than the other.

"Et Voila!" Naruto announced.

Sasuke uncrossed his arms in mid yawn to turn to examine his subject with his head to one side, a frown of indecision engraved on his brow. He ran a pink tongue across his teeth thoughtfully and then nodded.

"Not bad. It'll do." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets nonchalantly.

Naruto grinned. He returned behind the curtain to change back into his unquestionably scruffy clothes and fold his new set carefully over his arms.

When they got to the till desk Hinata was already there talking to, or rather being talked at by an older boy with eyes very similar to hers. Naruto decided that they must be related. As they approached, the boy shot them a look and disappeared into a back room.

"You're happy with them?" Hinata asked shyly, a flush on her face that Naruto suspected was due to the conversation she had been having a moment earlier. He smiled warmly.

"Perfect."

A blush replaced the flush and she looked down at the till as Naruto laid the clothes on the desk. She checked them in, "How would you like to pay?"

Sasuke retrieved his credit card from his wallet and slid it across the desk. Naruto felt the stab of guilt he had felt previously ten fold and consciously kept his gaze away from the monitor that read the total expenditure. Sasuke signed the dotted line fluidly and took his card back.

"Thank you. Good luck for tonight." Hinata said handing Naruto the bag.

"Red Moon, eight o' clock. I expect you to be there!" Naruto informed audaciously, "If you do come, I'll buy you a drink to say thanks!"

Hinata's face turned crimson and she said no more as the two walked out of the shop and onto the main street outside.

The rain had come back with a vengeance and in no more than five minutes they were both completely drenched. Naruto clutched the bag to him protectively to stop it from getting wet and peered through the downpour.

"Just typical." He sighed miserably but Sasuke put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, his warm breath tickling his ear.

"You enjoyed yourself, didn't you?" He said condescendingly, a note of amusement in his dulcet tones.

Naruto shrugged.

"Although, I can understand why. What guy wouldn't love a certain female fawning herself all over them." The hand on his shoulder swept up to trace the line of his jawbone to the soft part under his ear. The fingers were cold and wet, "Or maybe it was the other way around."

"Don't be a dick." Naruto hissed angrily. The arm removed itself from his shoulders and Sasuke sneered. Naruto watched the rain drip from his hair for a moment, "But thank you. Thanks for… you know."

Sasuke squinted against the rain and sighed, "Not a problem." He ran his fingers through his bangs, separating them into rat's-tails, "Coffee?"

"If you're paying." Naruto grinned.

* * *

AN: Naruto's such a scab. Gig- AHOY! And I promise Sakura becomes less annoying, just like in the series...  



	9. Evening Sonata in B Major

AN: Well, that update was longer than usual. Sorry. Can't be assed to answer reviews right now. I'm knackered. Busked with a friend in at a train station in the rain earlier. It was a good way to pass the time and an easy way to get a cold.

* * *

Chapter Nine: _Evening_ _Sonata in B Major_

Naruto counted the hours until the gig as warm water coursed down his back. It was the ultimate comforting sensation after the freezing torrent of rain that still poured outside. He estimated that there must be about three hours left, and that didn't include the hour rehearsal time they were planning to have. And then he had to include the walking time. Fortunately, Shikamaru had managed to find someone to give them and their instruments a lift to the bar, which, it turned out, much to Kiba's relief, supplied its own drum kit. This meant that he really only had an hour or so before he had to go out again.

He suddenly felt that he was being watched, but when he opened his eyes to wipe and peer through the misty glass there was no one there. He wondered if it was a normal thing to feel for no reason as he turned off the shower and reached for a towel, his wet hair preventing him from seeing anything beyond his feet. He stumbled out of the tray, sweeping his hair back with a flick of his head and wrapping the towel around his shoulders. The mirror steamed up immediately and Naruto drew a picture in it with his finger. It resembled a stick-man figure of himself on one knee, wielding a guitar. Beside it he wrote: "ROCK ON! Wish us luck!" Knowing that the next person to see it would be one of the girls. Both of them had done little to support them and had conveniently arranged other things for that evening. Naruto was sure that if he hadn't been involved Sakura would have cancelled her appointment to go, in fact he thought, more drastically, that she would have probably walked through fire to see Sasuke on stage. But of course he _was_ involved and Sakura was still giving him the cold shoulder. He assumed that she must have blackmailed Ino into staying with her and not going to the gig.

A lurch of fear and excitement hit the pit of his stomach as he suddenly realised what little time he had left.

When he walked into his bedroom, towelling his hair, Sasuke wasn't there. Naruto smiled ruefully at the clothes displayed neatly on his bed and the post-it note attached, which on closer inspection read, "You'd better not out-dress me."

* * *

As the chords died away at the end of the band practice the four put away their instruments and looked up at one another, a mix of expressions on each of their faces. 

Shikamaru smiled lopsidedly and broke the silence, "Let's go then."

"The limo awaits!" Kiba added pompously with a twirl of his hand and a little bow.

"Yoshu!" Naruto cried, slinging his guitar case over his shoulder and raising a hand in the air in rock salute.

Sasuke merely lowered his head and the four left the studio and headed out into the chilling cold rain outside to meet the owner of the red mini-van parked at the curbside that would take them to the bar. Shikamaru hailed him with his usual raised hand.

"Chouji, sorry we kept you waiting for so long." He said as Chouji got out to open the back of the van.

"Nah, no problem." He said standing aside to let the others climb in, "I'm just glad I could help."

"Whatever, man, I had to bribe you into it!" Shikamaru said, closing up the back and climbing in the passenger seat beside Chouji. Naruto clutched onto his guitar protectively as the van started up with a noisy growl and juddered violently into life. He pushed himself back against Shikamaru's seat to fix himself in a steady position for the rough downhill journey ahead.

"You nervous?" Kiba asked over the roar of the engine, his form barely visible in the dark interior of the van.

"Only for my life right now." Naruto laughed apprehensively.

"Agreed." Kiba replied, "But seriously, this gig's going to be great, you know?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, "Yeah, I do."

They spent the next fifteen minutes in silence, not bothering to raise a voice over the monotonous rumble. It finally died as the van stopped and the engine cut out. Shikamaru leant over his seat, "We have ten minutes to get a few drinks down us and set up. Are you ready?"

"Of course." Naruto replied, ignoring the panic rising in his gut as the back door opened again and the orange streetlight flooded in. He thanked Chouji as he climbed out, forcing feeling back into his legs.

"Good luck. It's a shame I can't watch," Chouji said earnestly, "I have an essay in for tomorrow that I haven't even started on."

Shikamaru saw him off as the other band members sheltered from the howling wind and rain inside the entrance of The Red Moon.

"Well, get in! Get in!" Shikamaru ushered as he turned back to them, taking his bass off Kiba

They shuffled indoors to a warm, dimly lit room that possessed the usual musk of cigarettes and alcohol that every bar in the country had. Almost immediately a man in his late twenties greeted them. He took the cigarette in his hand to his mouth to offer a handshake to each of them.

"The last band are just packing up," He said mostly to Shikamaru, "Give them a minute or so." He then disappeared in the crowd without so much as a "good luck". Kiba gave a derisive snort and headed over to the polished wooden bar to order drinks. Not physically prepared to have a drink, Naruto turned and wandered through the throng, following the bright overhead stage lights to find the place where he would soon be playing. The previous band members were unplugging their instruments while the crowd of people around them were unaware of their presence. A cold shiver ran up the base of his spine as he watched their miserable faces. He backed up to turn back to the bar and the others, his butterflies turning to screeching bats, and was stopped by a pair of arms that wound around his chest and stomach.

"Not running away are we, scaredy-cat?" A resonant voice said in his ear.

"Of course not." Naruto growled back tetchily.

"No need to get snappy." Sasuke replied, tightening his arms constrictively, "See, no cliffs around here."

Naruto sighed, "Yes, I noticed. Just a pit of vicious hyenas." Sasuke brought a hand up under Naruto's shirt but he pulled away exasperatedly, "God, you can be so inappropriate!" He pushed past Sasuke to get to the bar where Kiba held out a pint for him to take. He downed half of it instantly and left the rest on the bar when Shikamaru said that they should start setting up. Sasuke joined them on the steps to the stage. Naruto tried to catch his eye but he firmly ignored him and went to work setting up the microphone stand. Naruto gulped back the guilt that welled up and tried to focus on the task at hand. The audience went about as usual, as oblivious of them as of the last band. Naruto plugged his guitar into the amp and tuned it up. The bustle of the crowd remained relentless. Shikamaru and Sasuke did the same with the same result.

"Tough audience." Kiba mouthed to Naruto who forced a smile. Fear was rising up strongly inside him. His dream flashed before his eyes. He looked over to Sasuke and ran a hand through his hair in concern. A whistle rang out from the crowd and Naruto peered through the bright stage light to see Sakura and Ino waving frantically. He smiled despite himself and stepped into position on Sasuke's left. The crowd became a murmuring grey blur against the white light from above.

"Ok then." Sasuke said into the mic, blowing a piece of hair out of his face, "We're…" He looked to Shikamaru, "Who are we anyway?" A ripple of laughter went through the throng. Shikamaru grinned and shrugged. Sasuke shook his head and turned back to his audience, "Well, I guess that means we're Anon. We're going to play a handful of songs for you to endure tonight. Here they go."

Naruto suddenly realised that this was his cue. There was no time to think about being afraid. A wave of adrenalin caused by shock sent him into autopilot. Before he even realised he was doing it he was strumming out the well-practiced chords of their first song, a favourite of his old band. Kiba joined up after the first two bars right on cue. Naruto concentrated all his attention on his guitar, unaware of the audience reaction. Sasuke started singing and his insides seemed to freeze with the familiar sensation he now always associated with the raven-haired boy. He blinked back the salt water in his eyes furiously and scowled. He was determined to put on a good show tonight. He was not going to be distracted by his feelings. Naruto set his jaw and played with all the vigour he could muster. Sasuke never faltered, his tone remained resolute and Naruto both loathed and loved him for it. He wanted him to stumble, let out a raw note of inappropriate passion that would prove to Naruto that he was human; that he was angry, that he was sorry, that he was at least thinking about him. But the prodigy was calm and collected. The emotions were contrived, derived from the lyrics. An act.

As the first song ended Naruto had no choice but to pay attention to his audience. The reaction was amazing. The crowd around the stage was a heaving mass of bodies, cheering and appraising. He had no time to drink it in before Kiba signalled the start of the second song with his drum roll intro. Naruto grinned, fixing his attention on his guitar again. He knew it could only get better. He knew there was so much more that they could achieve. They could be amazing. The second song finished much sooner than he expected and the crowd reaction took him aback again. Their next song was a cover of a song Shikamaru had suggested. It was simple enough to learn and obscure enough for the crowd not to complain about unoriginality. The song also only had one guitar part for a large portion of it. Sasuke took the mic as Naruto played the part. Shikamaru stood back, taking a swig from a bottle of water. It was mellower than the first two songs, a resting ground, and a breather. Naruto watched the stage lights above, listening to the song rather than thinking of his part in it. It was well rehearsed and he didn't need to concentrate.

"I know that we were scared, hurt because you were not there. I know I want it all, wish the sky would fall on me."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru with a sudden awareness. He was watching Sasuke with interest, an almost derogatory fascination lingering on his features and Naruto suddenly had the disturbing feeling that he was in a test lab, awaiting examination. He brushed the sensation away with the firm knowledge that Shikamaru was a psychology student and probably analysed everyone he met. The song changed mood and Naruto focused on his chords again as Sasuke joined in. The black-eyed boy shot Naruto a look that he caught desperately and held for as long as he could.

"I'm not through."

There were only two songs left: Another of Naruto's old band and Shikamaru's. Shikamaru took up his bass again for the deep thrumming intro and Kiba played with a satisfying violence after his simple role in the last song, but Naruto was beginning to feel the strain. He bit his lip harder than he intended to keep himself focused. His grip on the plectrum slipped as the heat from the lights above made beads of perspiration form on his skin but he did not let it go. He licked the salty moisture from his top lip and longed for a pause in the song where he could adjust his hold on the piece of plastic between his fingers and brush his hair from his eyes. It came not a moment too soon, his heart beating furiously. The song was almost over, just another burst of strumming.

"I'm all over you…" Sasuke sang, an edge to his voice winning over at last. Naruto's heart skipped a beat and his fingers slipped, a faulty chord resulting from it. He cursed under his breath and finished the last transition, his insides burning with infuriation at his mistake.

Sasuke cleared his throat away from the microphone and took the bottle of water that Shikamaru offered him. He took his time drinking it before addressing the cheering audience again. Naruto watched Sakura and Ino writhing and wailing with excitement and adoration.

"The next song is our last for tonight." Sasuke spoke, altering the position of his guitar strap casually. The crowd lamented, "It's something we've been working on for a while now. Let's see what you think…"

The icy feeling swept through Naruto again before the four of them rang off their four simultaneous punches that entered them into the song. The crowd cheered and Naruto was lost in the dizzying adrenaline rush of the power that he got from being part of the ultimately shifting piece of music that Shikamaru had constructed from the depths of his mind. He played with all his heart and renewed strength. He could see the crowd moving like the rising tide and his insides seemed to swell with pleasure. He stopped to watch Sasuke's guitar solo, his fingers sliding effortlessly across the fret board, his voice sailed through the room, his face glistening with light sweat, a strange smile on his silky, speaking lips.

"A million times I'd say, a thousand ways, you're so beautiful. Perfect." He sang clear.

Naruto's fingers went into autopilot again as his rhythm line started up once more. Kiba went wild and the crowd started up a new fit of screaming. Sasuke hollered stylishly, bending the pitch of his guitar notes and twisting under the microphone for the last burst of chorus.

The song was over before Naruto realised.

"Thank you and good night." Sasuke said, grinning at the cliché and switching off the mic as the crowd cheered and whistled ecstatically.

The next few minutes were a blur to Naruto. From the point where he packed away his guitar to the point where he stood outside in the pouring rain waiting for something and not knowing what. It took him a few moments to realise where he was and then to ask Kiba with a dry throat why. He was told that they were waiting for Shikamaru who was talking to the manager, the man they had met on entering the bar. It took another few moments for Naruto to realise that a rather drunk Sakura was hugging him and apologising over and over again.

"I'm so sorry! You were so good! I'm so sorry!" She wailed into his chest. He squeezed her shoulders gently and prised her off him.

"Thanks for coming." He smiled, which caused her eyes to well and her to cling onto him more firmly. Ino came over to take her away, smile ruefully, and to congratulate him. As the two girls talked he sighed and looked up into the doorway of the bar that was opening. A familiar but unexpected person emerged and Naruto grinned and offered a wave of his hand, "Hinata!" He called and gestured for her to come over. She blushed and stepped over, "I guess this means I owe you a drink!"

She shook her head and avoided his eyes, "Congratulations," She said, "You… the band was very good. I enjoyed it. No need to thank me for coming."

"Another time then." Naruto said.

Shikamaru appeared at the doorway, "We have another gig next week!" He called.

"What!" Kiba cried, "You're kidding?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "You all up for it?"

"Definitely!" Naruto shouted, he turned to Hinata, "I guess that means you'll have to come again then…" He said imploringly. She smiled and nodded, "You can keep a tab of what I owe you then. See you next week!"

As she waved and turned to walk away, Naruto felt a sudden wash of exhaustion. His legs gave way and his vision went blank momentarily. He felt his knees hit the pavement sharply before arms caught him and swept him up as he fell forward. He regained his balance against the body in front of him and blinked to clear his eyes, all strength had left him.

"You alright?" Sasuke murmured and was echoed by more voices as the others crowded around worriedly.

"Yeah sure." Naruto said throatily, attempting to stand back without the control of his legs, "Just a bit… woozy."

"You can't even stand up!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Naruto, look at me." Sasuke ordered, holding his limp form up. Naruto felt sleep overtaking him, he heard only distant frantic voices and a repeated growingly concerned call of, "Look at me!" that held no meaning to him. It all rapidly faded away.

* * *

AN: Agh! What has become of our hero! Was the gig detailed enough for you? I always get reprimanded for skimping on details. I tried my hardest without making it too boring. Hope it works! Chapter 10 next! OOOH! Double figures! Oh and the song they covered was a song I just happened to be listening to at the time, Biffy Clyro's "Christopher's River". Sweet song. 


	10. A Cause For Concern

AN: Humm, how long has it been since I updated. Probably not that long ago. It feels like ages. Here's chapter 10! I hope you enjoy it. Now to briefly answer a few reviews. WHOO! 133!

Kyuubi-kun: I love you. I really do. That really makes me feel special. Unless you felt like that because my chap was so shit it has inspired you to want to do better. Then I'd cry.

Strawberries and Napkins: Thanks for all the reviews!

oOKeairaOo: You are definitely NOT Shiky's only fan! Smexy Shiky... Thank you for be as lovely as ever!

Rachel Dracon: Titles are a bitch! I do have a lot of fun pulling them out of my ass tho. I think they relate... kinda...

tyranimo: Ooh, I like you. Cheers (thanks in English) for the review.

Jiro-Sama: LMAO! I didn't really think about it being British. Do you not have the word busking? Hang on, I'll translate. The original: "Can't be assed to answer reviews right now. I'm knackered. Busked with a friend in at a train station in the rain earlier. It was a good way to pass the time and an easy way to get a cold."  
EDIT: Can't be bothered to answer reviews. I'm tired. Played music (he played guitar, I sang) in the rain at the train station earlier. It was a good way to pass the time and an easy way to get the flu.

Is that helpful? Dunno what it was that was specifically British so I just simplified it all... Tee hee. Still amuses me.

To all those new reviewers that I haven't thanked because I don't want to have to write a massive list: THANK YOU!

Lady Samurai: You are my 100th reviewer! I throw a party in your honour (soon enough) and Naruto and Sasuke are invited! Don't blame me if they steal all the mini-sausages. That pair just love their meat ; 3 !

* * *

Chapter Ten: _A Cause for Concern_

Naruto woke up to silence. Sunlight streamed through the open curtains of his room, creating patterns of shimmering light on the opposite wall. He watched them in fascination until he realised that he felt undeniably and uncomfortably moist. He opened his mouth to breath, his tongue feeling large and tacky and raised a hand to his damp forehead and hair. Memory of his last conscious state flashed before his eyes and he retched painfully, rolling over to look at the carpet with crisp, searing eyes.

"Sasuke," his mouth formed but no sound escaped. He gasped breathlessly, a terror running so deep it chilled his throat, "Sasuke!" His eyes watered with the effort and the fear. He retched again, his empty stomach giving nothing.

"SASUKE!" He screamed, the sound suddenly freeing itself. His head span and he clung onto the mattress desperately with tightly closed eyes. He was not aware of how much time passed before he was turned over firmly and pulled up into a sitting position in secure hands.

"Look at me." The person commanded and Naruto squinted at them as he tried to regain his breath, "No, Naruto, open your eyes." They said.

"But what if it's not you? I don't want to if it's not you!" Naruto wailed and writhed, screwing up his eyes tightly.

"What? You're not making any sense. Naruto…" The person fought against the struggling blonde, "Naruto! Cut it out!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, fighting off the hands that tried to hold him still.

"It's me, you moron! Look!" Sasuke barked, holding Naruto's face in his hands as he tried to push him away, "Stop it! _Naruto!_ _Stop it!_" He grabbed his flailing wrists, sat on his legs and pressed his forehead against Naruto's firmly, "Open your damn eyes and look at me!"

Naruto whined and wriggled without any success, so he lay back panting and sobbing dryly, "No. I… you're hurting me!"

"I'll let you go if you stop struggling." Sasuke said calmly.

Naruto swallowed and nodded hesitantly. Sasuke let go of his wrists and sat beside him on the bed, "Better?" He said running his hand across Naruto's forehead. Naruto nodded and opened his eyes, gazing at the ceiling blankly. Sasuke peered at him analytically, "That wasn't so bad was it? Your pupils are still slightly dilated. I bet you're exhausted now, aren't you?" Naruto ignored him, "What now?" Sasuke sighed irritably.

"What time is it?" Naruto said hoarsely.

"Four in the afternoon. What's wrong? Do you want anything?"

Naruto shook his head and then nodded, raising his hand to his face, "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to snap at you. I was just stressed, you know? And then the gig was so good and you were so…"

Sasuke took his hand away gingerly and kissed his eyelids, making a beeline for his trembling lips, "What are you apologising for, you stupid boy? I'm not mad at you!" He said, pulling away from Naruto's searching mouth, "You get so worked up about everything! Worry about yourself for a change! Everyone else is."

"What?" Naruto murmured, longing for Sasuke to stop talking and continue working on his lips. He reflected on this later, realising how strange it was for him to want to shut the normally silent Sasuke up.

"Of course they are! You didn't think they'd all just overlook the fact that you collapsed in the street and passed out, do you?" Sasuke laughed wretchedly, "They've been worried sick. Kiba called in a doctor and Shikamaru stayed over."

"Shikamaru?" Naruto smiled tiredly.

Sasuke nodded, "Yeah, believe it or not. The doctor said you're suffering from a serious case of fatigue. Don't know how considering you seem to get a lot more sleep than I do…"

Naruto shrugged, appreciating how comfortable his pillow really was as his eyelids flickered.

"You're tired. You need to rest." Sasuke said, moving to stand up.

"No!" Naruto said frantically, squeezing his hand, "Stay with me. Talk to me. Just don't leave me alone again."

"Ok! Ok." Sasuke said, leaning over and kissing his nose, "Move over."

Naruto shuffled up and Sasuke lay beside him and wrapped his arms around his smaller form protectively, resting his chin in the crook of his neck and breathing underneath his ear.

"Sakura was beside herself with worry. I told you she'd get over it. You should never have doubted me…" Sasuke said, realising he was only talking to calm Naruto's nerves. The flaxen haired boy breathed deeply and entwined his fingers in Sasuke's, "…Ino was up half the night making pancakes for everyone and pacing around like someone possessed." The breathing thinned and came more regularly, "And me, you ask? …Well… I didn't leave you, right up until the doctor kicked me out this morning. I'm sorry I wasn't there right away. I'm sorry for being so tactless last night. You were right. I was being obnoxious. But then again that's not really out of the ordinary is it… I'm sorry I'm such a bastard." He said, knowing he was only talking to himself. Naruto was lost in dreams. Sasuke also knew, and hated the fact that he would never have said it otherwise.

* * *

Later that evening Naruto woke again feeling far more refreshed. Sasuke sat at his desk writing an essay on his laptop, quietly clicking away and chewing his lip, his hair partially tucked behind his ear in a harassed manner. Naruto rubbed his eyes and sat up, feeling the need to be cleansed more that ever. 

"How're you feeling?" Sasuke asked, not looking up from his work.

"Weird."

"Understandable." He said, chewing the skin on his thumb, "Don't be surprised if you get a cold over the next few days. You were soaked through last night."

Naruto swung his legs out of the bed, "Ow!" He said as he received a sharp stab of pain from his knees.

"What?" Sasuke said looking over his shoulder. Naruto gestured madly at the large purple bruises forming on his kneecaps, "Oh." Sasuke said simply, "Probably from when you fell over. Muffin?"

"You don't seem very sympathetic." Naruto grumbled, readying himself to stand up.

"That'll be because I don't feel it. Do you want a muffin or not?" Sasuke replied, holding out the rounded cake he took from a packet on the desk and licking his fingers.

Naruto blinked at him, "No. Not right now…"

Sasuke sighed and replaced the muffin. He looked back at Naruto again who was testing out his feet on the carpet, "Where do you think you're going, why, and how do you think you're getting there?"

"The bathroom, because I feel disgusting and the usual method of walking will do."

"Try it." Sasuke smirked wickedly, picking at the spongy confectionary item.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at him and applied his weight to his feet, pushing himself off the bed and standing. He did his best to ignore the pain coursing through his legs from his kneecaps and gave Sasuke a smug exposure of his tongue.

"Walk." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Naruto hesitated and then attempted to walk as callously as he dared. He did not get very far before Sasuke was holding him up and rolling his eyes patronisingly.

"You're such an idiot." He said scathingly, pulling his arm over his shoulder to support him as he walked him into the bathroom, "And how were you intending to wash?"

"I can still clean myself, I'm not disabled!" Naruto cried indignantly.

"Oh, really? So was it going to be sitting in the shower tray not able to stand up or slipping and drowning in the bath?"

"I'll be fine, but thanks for the concern." Naruto smiled sarcastically.

"Very well," Sasuke stood back and removed his support around Naruto. Naruto grabbed the sink and scowled darkly, "Go on! Run the bath. Or can't you turn around?"

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Naruto questioned.

"Of course."

"You just want to get me naked!"

"If it's just that I want I could have stripped you last night while you were unconscious…" Sasuke smiled perversely and Naruto gaped at him speechlessly. Sasuke turned the taps on the bath and stuck in the plug, "Don't look at me like that, I didn't did I?"

"I wouldn't know!" Naruto moaned, wincing at the sharp pain of his knees.

"Don't whine. You're only acting violated because you know you want it really." He said, a strange smile gracing his lips as he stole some of Ino's lavender bubble bath.

"W-want what?" Naruto stammered. Sasuke took the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over Naruto's head, "Hey!"

"Stop complaining. You wanted a wash didn't you?" Sasuke said, rolling the shirt off Naruto's arms and folding it over the towel horse. Naruto grumbled warily and sceptically eyed Sasuke as he tested the temperature of the rapidly rising bath water. Sasuke caught his gaze, "Stop looking at me like I'm a rapist! I'm not taking advantage of you in your oh-so-fragile state! Besides, it's not my style to pick on the weak and feeble." Naruto's expression did not change as Sasuke turned off the taps and dried his hands on his trousers.

"Prefer a struggle, do you!" Naruto asked incredulously, "If that's not the mark of a rapist I don't know what is!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Get in." he sighed and turned his back to face the door. Naruto hesitated before carefully removing the rest of his clothing, trying his hardest not cause himself any harm, and easing himself into the bubbly water. He instantly felt soothed and could even bend his legs a little.

"God knows how you coped in school communal showers." Sasuke said, turning around as Naruto groaned contentedly.

"That's a bit different." Naruto grinned, "This just seems backward."

"In what way?" Sasuke asked, inspecting his reflection in the mirror above the sink.

"I don't know." Naruto lied, not wishing to explain his comment and therefore avoiding an awkward conversation. Sasuke did not push him for an explanation. He lay back and reflected on the gig the night before.

"How do you think we did last night?" Sasuke asked, reading his mind.

"Awesome. It was great." He replied, a surge of adrenalin running through him at the memory.

"Take it easy next week. We don't want you collapsing on stage."

"Next week? Oh crap, that's right. We have another gig, don't we?"

Sasuke nodded, "Sit up."

Naruto did as he was told, "I guess that means that we're appreciated."

"Mm, at least by the landlord." Sasuke agreed, sitting on the edge of the bath and drenching a sponge in the water.

"Nah, the crowd loved it. Especially you." Sasuke said nothing and sponged Naruto's neck gently. Naruto shuddered at the water running down his shoulder blade pleasantly, "But then it's not surprising really. The band that played before us were butt ugly."

Sasuke gave a snort of dry amusement, "I'm sure that's the reason, Naruto." He said sarcastically, squeezing the sponge out over Naruto's head.

"And we're only going to get better! We could have a record contract this time next year!" Naruto said through a sheet of dripping blonde hair.

"I doubt that very much." Sasuke muttered, massaging shampoo into the yellow mop.

"Wanna bet?"

"I don't gamble."

"Liar. You're just chicken."

Sasuke smiled, "Alright then. If we have a record contract this time next year I'll take you to Japan and if we don't…"

"I'll sell my guitar and give up the band." Naruto said. Sasuke paused in his action of reaching for the showerhead and looked back at Naruto's serious expression.

"Deal."

The doorbell rang downstairs.

"Who's in?" Naruto asked as Sasuke rinsed off his hair.

"Sakura and Ino and Nara. Someone will get it."

Sure enough they heard footsteps trip down the stairs and the door click open. A few moments later they heard Sakura's voice call up the stairs.

"Sasuke!"

He sighed and stood up, "Hang on a minute." He said to Naruto and closed the bathroom door behind him. Another few moments later, Naruto heard angry male tones drift up the stairs and then they dulled. He moved his legs testily and then raised them over the edge of the bath, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the bath and pulled himself out, his eyes stinging when his heels took his weight and a dull aching pain took over his legs. He stood, wrapped a towel around his waist and went out inelegantly into the hall. Sakura caught his eye by waving silently as she eavesdropped out of her bedroom door. She glanced down the stairs and then tiptoed over to Naruto's side.

"How're are you?" She mouthed. Naruto smiled and gave her a thumbs up and then angled one thumb down the stairs questioningly. She shrugged and then pushed him into his room. He almost fell over as his knees momentarily jarred but Sakura didn't seem to notice. She closed the door behind her and seemed to take a moment to gather herself as if her mind was scattered across the room upon entering.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, still unsure how to approach the volatile young woman. Sakura looked up, smiled, crossed the room toward him and draped her arms around his neck. Naruto was very aware of his dampness and extreme lack of clothing, a towel was all that hung off his hips.

"I just wanted to let you know that I still meant what I said last night, despite how hammered I was. Because…" She held onto him tighter, rising up on her tiptoes and pressing her cheek against his neck, "… Because if I can't have him then you're a good enough reason why I shouldn't." He felt his face burning as hot new droplets of water dripped down his collar, "So I want you to tell me everything, every perverse detail. I want to be your confidante…"

"You want to be my fag hag!" Naruto laughed softly, taking her arms and gently removing them from his shoulders.

"Exactly." Sakura giggled pitifully back, rubbing her eyes and sniffing, "No, that's not right. I want to be your friend."

The door slammed shut downstairs and there was a pause before heavy footsteps stamped up the stairs. Sasuke stalked into the room, obviously irate, and collapsed on Naruto's bed, ignoring their presence. Sakura shot Naruto a look. He shrugged, and then she gave him another swift hug before leaving him alone with the swirling blue-black vortex in the corner of his room.

"I should pass out more often." Naruto smirked. Sasuke didn't respond. Naruto ran a hand across his mouth and inhaled deeply before approaching the darkness, hobbling a little, "Who was that?" He asked as he sat on the bed.

Sasuke avoided his gaze, "Shit-face."

Naruto smiled, "Sorry, you're going to have to translate that one."

The brooding boy sighed and reached up to touch the hair above the nape of Naruto's neck, "I don't think I've ever met someone with hair as blonde as yours."

"Sasuke." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Kakashi."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Hatake? Our lecturer? What did _he_ want?"

"Oh, to lecture as usual." Sasuke grimaced, stroking the water droplets off Naruto's back, "I'm sure torturing me is one of his favourite past times. Although he's been more pathetic than anything else lately."

"You're talking about Kakashi Hatake?" Naruto questioned again, "We didn't have a lecture scheduled for today. The pieces aren't quite fitting here, Sas'."

Sasuke murmured deeply and sat up. He ran his hands up either side of Naruto's spine, "Doesn't matter. He's not important." he said in placating tones.

"What's going on, Sasuke? Was it him that rang you that day? Should I be concerned!"

Sasuke hissed through his teeth irritably and Naruto felt his nails nip lightly into his flesh, "No. It's nothing like that. I mean, yes it was him on the phone that time but…" He rested his forehead against Naruto's back, "He's an old family friend. And he's basically all I've got. That's something he likes to constantly remind me of. Except now he's bugging me more than usual because… well, I've been pretty much ignoring him. So it's nothing shifty and really nothing important."

"Why didn't you tell me? You had me seriously worried for a minute!" Naruto was reminded of his relationship with Iruka but he got the impression that this was something a little different. Sasuke grumbled, "You shouldn't ignore him though. He's obviously only worried about you."

"Nah, he's just jealous that I've found someone else and he hasn't." Sasuke muttered bitterly. Naruto frowned, "But as I said, it doesn't matter. He just pissed me off coming here."

"Why would he be all you have?" Naruto blurted, realising how tactless he had been a little too late. Sasuke said nothing. They sat in silence for a moment, Naruto on the edge of the bed, Sasuke leaning against his back. Sasuke sat up away from him. Naruto winced as he stood up without saying a word, "Sasuke, don't go. I'm sorry, I'll shut up now." Naruto grabbed his shirt as he started to walk away, "Please." Sasuke stopped but Naruto couldn't see his face behind his hair.

"Because everyone else I loved is dead. Look, I really don't want to talk about this now. I'm g-"

Naruto pulled him down against him across the bed, "Kiss me."

"Stop it." Sasuke mumbled angrily, trying to pull away from Naruto's firm grip on his shirt collar

"Like you did the first time…" Naruto purred, breathing deeply against Sasuke's chest, "Or am I still not allowed to talk about that… Don't ignore me too. Don't throw me away like some toy you've got bored of."

"Never." Sasuke growled, pressing his lips against Naruto's securely, "Never. Never. Never. Never."

Naruto grinned against Sasuke's mouth and let himself sink into pleasure, pressed against a mattress by a person he thought he'd never even like let alone…

"I love you."

* * *

AN: Aii! It's the longest chapter so far. Sorry the bathroom scene wasn't kinkier. I felt it would be a bit inappropriate due to Naruto's current state. There's always time for more! I wrote this in the blackest week in the history of anime. Naruto was licensed! I'm in the hopelessly optimistic stage of mourning. That's hoping that they might do a good job when they quite blatantly won't. Oh god! WEEP! Next chap: OHNOSE! SASUKE!  



	11. Verbal Inferno

AN: Gawd. Sorry, my precious pugmuffins! It's been an awful long time... in comparison to my former updating speediness, that is. Just finished writing chap 14 and I promised myself I wouldn't update again until I do. It's taken me far too long but then life beckons: Moving house, exams etc. But hell! You don't wanna hear about that! Fanfic calls like a kitten stuck in a tree! You can't resist its pleas so don't even try!

* * *

Chapter Eleven: _Verbal Inferno_

"What?" Sasuke choked, looking down at the shocked cerulean-blue eyes and parted lips of the boy beneath him. The lips echoed the words soundlessly. Sasuke stumbled backwards, touching the wall behind him delicately, frantically. The blue eyes melted with hurt and betrayal. He looked away, at the door, the floor, his hands. And the blonde, wincing with pain, reaching out to him, saying a name he couldn't hear. He took the door handle as hands took his waist, and back and hair. He couldn't breathe, he gasped. The blonde was talking more burning words he couldn't understand, refused to comprehend. The room was crystal clear, as if everything was wet and glistening. And he was there. Watching with an expressionless, smooth manikin face.

"Sasuke! Fucking listen to me!" Naruto yelled, his eyes stinging. The raven-haired boy looked past his shoulder as if staring at something truly terrifying. A look glazing over his black eyes that Naruto had seen only once before. Anger and resentment and fear welled up inside him.

The look disappeared as Sasuke's shoulder hit the wall a millisecond after Naruto hit his face. He touched his cheek cautiously, his hand trembling.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said tentatively, reaching out to take his hand. He pulled it away fiercely and wrenched open the door, stumbling outside into the hallway like a drunkard, "Sasuke!" Naruto took a step forward, his knees at last giving way to the aching agony and buckling. He watched the carpet half an inch from his eye and took short shallow breaths, feeling nothing except a cold numbing sensation spreading up his neck. Hands took his shoulders moments later and rolled him over, a familiar silhouette above him against the hall light.

"Naruto? What are you doing? Are you alright?" Shikamaru said in his slightly accented, concerned tones. He sighed and pulled Naruto to his feet, "You're so troublesome." Naruto said nothing and massaged his fist. The knuckles were starting to hurt. Sakura and Ino hovered nearby, both wearing identical confused and curious expressions. Sakura stepped over and pulled his hands apart.

"Naruto," She murmured, "What did you do?"

He hugged her so close he could hear her bones bend and her heart flutter like a frightened bird. She whimpered a little in pain but did not pull away. He wanted to encase her warmth inside himself so he could stop feeling so cold, so guilty. So eternally alone.

* * *

Naruto lay awake and stared at the dark blue ceiling above feeling icy and empty. He had been drifting off to sleep now and then, only to wake up in a cold sweat and expect to have warm reassuring arms around him, onyx eyes glinting in the darkness and a tender voice rumbling words of comfort like thunder in the distance. 

He had sat up with Sakura, picking heartlessly at the waffles she made him despite his empty stomach, and watching 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' which she had forced him to view. Shikamaru escaped the experience craftily and wished Naruto well with a puzzled mouth and furrowed brow. Naruto knew he didn't understand and he certainly wasn't going to tell him. Kiba came back not long after Shikamaru left and made a vain effort to cheer Naruto up for ten minutes before giving up and studying in his room. Naruto couldn't find the energy to feel guilty for reducing Kiba to textbook cruising. He went to bed after the movie feeling no better than before. He listened to a little music, read a few pages of a book and then lay in the darkness.

He watched the light of a passing car glide ghostly across his room and felt heat prick his eyes. He buried his face in his pillow and cried himself to exhaustion. It was a pale substitute for sleep.

He opened his puffy eyes in the morning, saw Sasuke leaning against the door and closed them again, willing himself to wake up and stop dreaming. When he opened them again Sasuke was still there. A cold chill washed over him.

"Get up, moron." Sasuke commanded.

"Why? What right do you have to tell me to do anything?" Naruto glared.

Sasuke flinched, "Fine. Whatever. It doesn't matter."

It wasn't the reaction Naruto had been expecting but the Japanese boy was behaving so arrogantly it stung. Did he just expect that he could pretend nothing had ever happened? He could hear voices in his head telling him that this was exactly what he wanted. That he wanted to run straight back to him and ignore the previous night forever. Pretend everything was fairy tale happy and nothing would ever be resolved. But the truth would nag at him like a snagged piece of stitching for as long as he stayed that way, gradually pulling out more underlying stitches.

"This isn't normal, Sasuke. I don't even now what this is! What am I to you? A friend? A toy? A piece of meat? A sack of kittens with a brick? Why won't you tell me anything? You know I won't run away. You said you'd never leave me!" Naruto choked out his last words, "You promised…"

Sasuke stared blankly at the corner of the room and said nothing.

"Why won't you acknowledge me! Do I mean that little to you?"

"Don't be so selfish." Sasuke muttered, "It's always been what you want. You've always got your way and I give you everything. What more do you want from me?"

"I want you!"

"You _have_ me!"

"You're a liar! I've never had you! You won't let me! All I have is the surface, the shell! The snake skin that you shed, but you've never given me anything else except when you're intoxicated!"

"That's not true."

"It is! Don't you know it? I'd give you anything… _everything_ of me if you'd only ask. But you won't will you? Because that would mean an exchange when you're not prepared to trade. You know nothing about me."

Sasuke stood silently with eyes closed tightly, his arms around his chest as if holding something in.

_Like his heart,_ Naruto thought bitterly. He got up out of his bed and stood in front of the pale, bruised face he adored. His left cheekbone was turning an unhealthy shade of purple.

"I love you."

Sasuke cringed, "You said you don't know me."

"I know enough to know I love you."

Sasuke wrapped his arms around himself tighter and shrank back, "No you don't. You know enough to want to know more. I should never have told you anything."

"You said that once before. It didn't stop me then it won't stop me now." Naruto said smilingly, reaching out to move a bang from Sasuke's face. Sasuke veered away from his touch and Naruto felt his eyes stinging again. He clenched his fist and decided to get dressed before he let his emotions take over

As he looped his belt through his trousers he felt Sasuke take his hand behind him.

"You missed a loop." He said wretchedly and rested his head on the back of Naruto's shoulder as Naruto pulled his arms around his stomach, forcing back the tears that prickled. They stood and breathed each others scent waiting for the moment to break and shatter, never to be fixed, when one eventually pulled away.

"Why can't we stay like this forever?" Sasuke murmured, swathing Naruto in his arms, "I want to hold you forever."

Finding no words to answer him, Naruto lifted up his hand and kissed it, his own clasped comfortably underneath. Sasuke breathed deeply and warmly into Naruto's back. The sensation was as comfortable as a hot drink on a cold drink.

"I'll tell you everything, anything you want to know. You can have it all if you promise you won't runaway." Sasuke said and Naruto drank in the hot liquid of his soothing voice, processing its meaning as it slipped inside.

"I won't runaway." Naruto said with ease, realising there was nothing so easy to say as those words. Sasuke grunted and removed his arms from Naruto to sit on his bed and lean against the wall. Naruto recovered from the separation with a mental struggle over the open wound that Sasuke had left behind. He clambered back into his arms on the bed and nestled against his chest in an awkward but eventually snug arrangement of limbs.

"I can ask anything and you won't get mad?" He said cautiously, massaging the flesh between Sasuke's thumb and forefinger absentmindedly.

"Fire away." He grumbled, shifting his position against the wall.

Naruto sat in silence trying to find a question worth asking. Sasuke sat patiently around him, running his fingers through his blonde hair.

"How did you get that scar?" He said finally.

"Which?" Sasuke stiffened.

"The one on your neck. You said you wouldn't get mad!" Naruto said indignantly.

"I'm not mad. I just didn't expect you to ask that first." Sasuke chewed the side of his mouth contemplatively, "Can I leave that till later? Ask another one."

"Sasuke!" Naruto whined.

"I'll tell you but not right now. I can't tell you right now. It's not right."

Naruto watched the trouble brewing in Sasuke's dark eyes and forced himself to find another question, "Why did you move here?" He settled with. A safe enough question, he thought.

"To the house or to the country?"

"Both. Start with country."

Sasuke furrowed his brow, gathering his thoughts, "There was nothing left for me in Japan except an empty house and a lingering reputation. I was the last member of a tarnished household. Unwelcome to most and pitied by the rest.

I knew I had a distant cousin that lived over here and tried to contact him. It took me months to track him down and when I eventually got a lead I ended up getting hold of Kakashi who told me that he'd died a couple of years back. I lost it then and there on that phone call. Kakashi ended up pitying me like everyone else but by that point I just wanted to escape my life so badly I took his offer to transfer over to this university and live under his wing for a year before I could start my first year here.

I was pretty messed up back then. Tried to kill myself a couple of times." Sasuke paused in his confessions, "I had the money to live on my own. Even tried to find a place before Kakashi reprimanded me, said I wasn't fit to look after myself. He was probably right. It was his suggestion to share a house for this year. Told me it would do me good to socialise and that it was the best opportunity to do so. So that's why I'm here."

Naruto let the information sink in, "You're a year older than me?"

Sasuke smiled, "I took a year out if that's what you mean. But probably not, my birthday's in July."

"Good. Mine's in October."

"Then I missed it!"

Naruto shrugged, "You hated me."

"I never hated you."

"You told me you did!" Naruto poked him. Sasuke pursed his lips.

"Didn't mean I was telling the truth. A little thing called denial was my friend. He told me to say it. I…" Sasuke stopped himself saying something and shook his head.

Naruto squinted distrustfully up at him but did not say anything. Sasuke pouted sarcastically and covered Naruto's eyes with his hand.

"Next question, please." He said.

Naruto bit his finger to remove the hand from his eyes and contemplated his next question, "Alright… So you're the last member of your family?"

"No. I have a brother."

"What!" Naruto was taken aback by his direct response, "Then why did you have to find some obscure relative to get in contact with? Why couldn't you go to him?"

"Because I don't acknowledge him as a relative. He was a member of my family but he doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

"Where is he?"

Sasuke shrugged, his expression turning cold, "As far as I'm concerned he's dead and buried with everyone else."

Naruto watched his eyes feeling that Sasuke was not telling the whole truth. It was obvious that Sasuke had closed himself off for the time being but Naruto knew that there was plenty of time to drag other things out of him. He reflected that the influence of alcohol might be a key factor involved in bringing further development to his excursion.

"Alright. OK. I'll leave it for now if that's how you're going to be." Naruto sighed and sat up, massaging his bruised knees. Sasuke opened his mouth to argue but decided better of it, "There's always tomorrow." Naruto smiled back at him from the edge of the bed. Sasuke grunted noncommittally, "Sourpuss."

A scratching and then a yelp came from the corner of the door.

* * *

AN: Hmmm… I don't really need to say much about this one. It's pretty self-explanatory. I'm trying to get somewhere with this but my heart's not been in it. I'll get it back soon enough. Been too fukushusha. It's weird to think I've been working on this since Christmas! In other news: STEVE BLUM (Spike in Cowboy Bebop) IS PLAYING KAKASHI! SQUEE! It gives me light in the darkness of the dub. He's probably one of the best dub voice actors out there! YAY! Next chapter: PARTAY TIME! 

Also thought I'd be clevererer and put the replies to reviews at the bottom so you don't have to scroll through them all before reading the fic. Who thinks this is a good idea? Well anyway:

oOKeairaOo: WUHEY! Did you enjoy the Sasuke angst? I was giggling to myself when I read your review. What insight you have! Make more predictions! It amuses me! I hope the wait didn't disappoint you. This chapter disappoints me a little. I don't know why... Keep on molesting Shiky! I'll be waiting to congratulate you on news of your bastard freak child. Pregnant Shiky... hmm... Anyway! Thank you for your almighty loveliness! Sasuke gives you a muffin for your review.

Puriin: Well now. I'm so glad you like the attention to detail! That really makes my day that someone appreciates it because I know when reading people have a tendancy to skim over things like that but those are the parts I love writing because you can put a sense of character and realism into it. Sorry if I'm rambling but your review really has made me happy. Thank you!

Maskoftime: LMAO! I feel the same way. However, I would actually put pencils in their eyes if I met them.

Machi: Sasuke would like to give you a muffin also.

Sugahlei: And one to you too! (muffin) Thank you v. much! But Sasuke's past is a smidgeon different to the anime... (raises furtive eyebrow). Mwahahaha!

Caciquegoddess: KYAA! Well Kakashi's relationship with Sasuke is a bit fuzzy isn't it! I leave it open to debate for now. Sank yossuttebayo!

AnimeGirl! Don't, you're making me blush! Ahem... Thank you! (muffin)

Die Kikyo Die: OMG! Well, it's bizarre that you should say that. I call my friends 'muffin'. I also have an unhealthy obsession with them, to a point where I'm now refferred to as 'The Muffin Queen' (that and 'The Strip Tetris Queen'). I've had to cut down my ingestion of them for fear of getting fat and more importantly: heart disease. However much I would love to make Sasuke call Naruto 'muffin' it's seems a little OC (If I haven't crossed the limit already I would with that). Maybe visa versa? What do you think? Sasuke will most certainly give YOU a muffin.

To everyone else who reviewed: THANK YOU! LOVE YOU! MWAH!


	12. Helium and Heartstrings

AN: Sorry it's been so long. I had no access to the internet... hmm... Well, I can't reply to reviews now as I am pressed for time but I'll add them on at a later date. Must dash. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Twelve: _Helium and Heartstrings_

"Tonight?" Naruto repeated, eyebrows raised.

Kiba nodded casting Sasuke a suspicious look over Naruto's shoulder as he held the door open. Sasuke touched his bruised cheekbone self-consciously. Kiba returned to the subject at hand, "Not a problem is it?"

"I don't think so. Whose place?" Naruto asked.

"This guy in my seminar. Never spoken to him before! He heard us the other night and just decided to invite us. Looks like we're getting a fan base!" Kiba grinned, "Should be fun. Apparently his house throws these parties every month. I asked around a bit and all the reports are good ones. The stories got a bit legendary after a while…" Kiba paused, "You up to it? Because if you still feel shitty I guess you should give it a miss…"

"Nah, I'm fine. I need to get out. It'll do me good!" Naruto grinned.

"Not sure about how much _good_ it'll do you. But it sounds great. It starts at eight but I reckon we should be there for around nine."

Naruto nodded and turned to Sasuke who was eyeing the snuffling Akamaru at the foot of the bed disdainfully, "You going to come?"

Sasuke looked up and looked about to disagree when he glanced at Kiba and nodded, "Sure. Why not."

Naruto frowned at him quizzically but was distracted by Kiba's enthusiastic reply.

"Then it's settled! Partay time! I'll go ask the girls." He sauntered off downstairs with his dog at his heels.

"Are you sure agreeing to that was such a good idea?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shrugged, "I didn't think _you_ would."

"Meaning?" Sasuke sneered, "I said I'd go so I could keep an eye on you. Just as well I did now you've made it clear you don't want me there."

"That's not it." Naruto scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "I thought you'd stop me from going."

"I'm not that selfish…"

"Debateable."

"All right. Truthfully?" Sasuke raised a suggestive eyebrow, "I secretly want to go so I can cause rumours about us."

"Now I definitely don't want you there!"

* * *

Naruto inspected his hair in the hall mirror and took a swig from the can of _Redbull_ he was drinking to keep his energy levels up. After tweaking the front strands unsuccessfully he pulled his coat on and waited for the others to make an appearance.

Kiba was the first to emerge from the depths of his room. He clapped Naruto on the back and searched for his shoes in the untidy pile at the front door. Naruto leant against the wall and gazed up at the hall light.

"Did you call Shikamaru?" Naruto asked. Kiba nodded as he tugged on a discovered shoe.

Sasuke chose that moment to join them, looking smoothed and casual. Not all that much different from his usual appearance. Only the dark bruise under his eye betrayed him. He gave Naruto a bored look and found his shoes tucked neatly in the staircase alcove, "I take it we're just waiting for the women?"

Naruto and Kiba nodded and murmured in despairing accord.

"Hurry up!" Kiba yelled up the stairs. Angry female protests answered him. Bedroom doors clicked simultaneously and the two girls floated down the stairs dressed, quite literally, to the nines. Kiba whistled and received a smack to the arm from Ino.

"Come on! Let's go!" She cried, flicking her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. Naruto realised it was the first time he had seen it released from its ponytail. Sakura glanced at Sasuke and then gave Naruto a pained look as she reached for her coat.

"You look stunning." He whispered in her ear as he smoothed out the shoulders. She blushed and squeezed his hand quickly, reassuring herself.

"Better not keep the taxi waiting any longer." She said and opened the front door. Sasuke switched off the hall light.

* * *

As they rounded the curb it became clear why no one cared that a party occurred at the house once a month. Set out quite a distance from the city centre, the house spanned two acres of land, not including the garden that encompassed either side of them as they drove up the driveway. The nearest housing establishments were half a mile away on all sides. It was clear that whoever occupied the house couldn't possibly afford it without parental finances. It was no manor house but it certainly wasn't the poxy five-bedroom, semidetached house that Naruto and the others resided in.

"I want to live here!" Kiba wailed.

"I'd like to see you ask how much it'd cost." Sakura laughed disbelievingly as the taxi pulled up outside.

They were greeted by loud music blaring out of the open front door as they exited the car. At half past nine the party was evidently in full swing. Kiba pulled out his phone as they neared the front door and stuck a finger in his ear as he dialled Shikamaru's number.

"Hey, Nara! You here yet?" Kiba shouted over the noise, "… Yeah. Sorry, it took longer than we thought to get here... What…? All right… See you in a minute!" Kiba tucked his phone away and ushered them indoors.

As soon as they entered Naruto was almost knocked over by a girl running past laughing and waving a pair of trousers. The owner of the trousers followed not long after. The five of them exchanged glances and made their way into a huge sitting room off the main entrance, wooden floors leading throughout. A couple were making out on the sofa and a group were sitting on the floor playing poker around the round coffee table in the middle of the room. They passed through this room into a long dining room consisting of a table covered in empty drinks cans and bottles and then into the kitchen. In the kitchen a tall, gangly, particularly unattractive boy stood up from a breakfast-bar stool and greeted them.

"Hey! Glad you could make it. Loved the gig the other night! You guys are really talented." He said earnestly, offering his hand to each of them, "Me and my other housemates have some real competition!"

"You're in a band too?" Naruto asked. The boy nodded enthusiastically and then as his gaze met Sakura's his face dropped in horror. He blushed profusely and hung his head in shame.

"Oh, forgive me! I haven't introduced myself. I'm Rock Lee. Or just Lee. You must think I'm unspeakably rude!"

"No! Not at all!" Sakura replied hastily, shooting Naruto a terrified glance.

Lee recovered himself and continued, "Help yourself to anything in the house. We won't be kicking anyone out. Whatever you can find to drink or eat is yours. I won't be drinking myself…" He trailed off, "The only thing we expect is consideration for the house and the furniture. Other than that just go ahead and have a good time!" He grinned and passed them some bottles off the worktop.

"Nice time to get here." Shikamaru said from behind them, grabbing the back of Naruto's neck roughly, "You feeling better?" He asked, smiling too broadly to be sober.

"I'm hunky dory." Naruto grinned.

Shikamaru nodded at him and then squinted at Sasuke, "What happened to your face?"

"Walked into a shelf." Sasuke lied confidently.

"Shika'!" Ino cried, pulling away Shikamaru's suspicious stare. She touched his arm and took him away to one side. Naruto hadn't noticed them ever speaking before, it confused him how they could have gotten so close. He turned to speak to Kiba about it but his friend seemed to have disappeared already.

A random partygoer was chatting up Sakura while Lee watched with obvious jealousy and eyed a beer can wistfully. Naruto went to place a hand on Sasuke's arm when someone who entered the room caught his attention.

"Hinata!" He called. The girl looked up worriedly, like a rabbit caught in the headlights before she found the source of the voice and her cheeks turned a shade of pink. Naruto crossed the room to greet her, "You get everywhere! I mean… what're you doing here?"

"I live here." Her blush deepened.

"No way! In this mansion? Lucky thing! I'd give my right arm to live in house like this and that's a big deal considering-" Naruto prattled. Realising he was just verbally spewing he cleared his throat and said, "That's pretty awesome."

"It's nice here, I guess." She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "But I'm sure where you live is just as nice…"

"Are you kidding? My place is a dump compared to this!" Naruto laughed.

"Hinata, who's this?" A boy older than Naruto said joining Hinata's side. Naruto recognised him as the boy behind the counter at the clothes shop where Hinata worked. He had the same dark hair and pale eyes as she did, if not paler. The eyes observed him with unconcealed dislike.

"Oh, Neji, he's a friend. He's the guitarist in the band that Lee mentioned."

"Is that right." Neji scowled, "Well good luck with that. In the mean time, stay away from my sister."

Naruto was taken aback. It took him a moment to realise that he meant Hinata and then another to feel angry about it. By that point it was too late to argue. Hinata mouthed an apology at him before she was lead off by the impertinent Neji.

"Nice going." Sasuke sneered sarcastically at his side. Naruto almost jumped out of his skin. He guiltily realised that he had forgotten all about him in his rush to greet Hinata.

"What was all that about?" Naruto asked.

"I'd say marble-eyes wasn't too happy about you fornicating all over his sister. Needless to say, neither am I."

"I wasn't fornicating all over anyone. Whatever that means. I just wanted to say hi!" Naruto moaned, leaning on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke finished his drink and found another in the fridge next to him.

"Well, anyway. I'd appreciate it if the only other sycophantic behaviour you indulge in tonight were directed exclusively at me. Remember me?"

Naruto would have argued if he understood half of what Sasuke was saying, but as the case stood he didn't have a hope. He reasoned that it must be the drink talking, but it disturbed him how the Japanese boy could have picked up more English in a number of years than he had his whole life. Naruto reached for another lager and Sasuke's hand.

"Come on, let's explore." He said, pulling him out of the kitchen.

"Oh yes, let's!" Sasuke replied mockingly.

When they reached the main entrance hall again a couple of boys Naruto vaguely recognised but couldn't place where from stumbled in through the door carrying plastic bags by the armload, which they dumped by the front door. One of them noticed the two of them, pulled out a bottle of wine from a carrier bag and thrust it in Naruto's direction.

"Dude, you're awesome! Here's a freebie for the show. Normally we'd scab some cash off of you but you guys deserve it. Wish I could play half as well."

"Yeah, but that's 'cause you suck." His friend told him.

"It's true." The first boy nodded morosely, "Hey, man, what happened to your face?" He said, gesturing at Sasuke.

"He hit me." Sasuke smiled curtly, indicating towards Naruto.

"Oh, right. Cool." The boy exchanged glances with his friend, "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Later!"

As they disappeared into the sitting room with the plastic bags Naruto whacked Sasuke's arm, "I can't believe you!"

"What? Didn't you hear? It's cool, man!" Sasuke grinned devilishly, taking the wine bottle out of Naruto's hands and pulling out the corkscrew key chain on his house keys from his pocket.

They walked into the second living room on the opposite side of the hall where a group of people were milling about on the sofas half watching music channels on the TV and arguing about them. Sasuke removed the cork and placed it on a side table. Before he could take a swig a gaggle of girls appeared from nowhere and surrounded them.

"Hey! You're in that band aren't you! The new one everyone's raving about?"

"Wow, you're way cuter up close."

"You got a girl friend?"

"Will you play us something?"

"With what, you slag?"

"Neji has a guitar!"

"Yeah!"

"Neji's in the band?" Naruto hissed in Sasuke's ear.

"So it would seem." He replied, taking a swig, "Get the guitar and we'll play something, no problem."

The girls squealed.

"What are you doing!" Naruto gripped his arm. Sasuke raised a dismissive eyebrow at him and offered him the bottle. Naruto took it gladly.

"Tenten, you know where Neji's room is! You go get it!"

The girl in question blushed and pushed her friend moodily.

"Yeah, go on!" The other girls cheered at her.

"I can't! He'll kill me if he finds out!" She cried.

The girls whined imploringly while Naruto gripped Sasuke's arm harder. Sasuke shrugged it off and leaned in to whisper something in Tenten's ear. She blushed further and nodded. The girls hollered as Tenten dipped her head as Sasuke continued to whisper to her, a suppressed smile gracing her lips. She nodded again and lightly flounced out of the room. Naruto scowled at Sasuke and downed a large portion of the wine. Sasuke put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to his side.

"Just getting a little revenge for you." He murmured.

"I don't want you to." Naruto growled, "I never asked you to." His head was beginning to swim.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Please, Sasuke, don't do this!" Naruto felt a jolt of panic as he realised how little Sasuke cared about the consequences of what could happen, and how little he cared if anyone got hurt in the process.

"What are you so worried about? The guy was a bastard to you."

"I don't care about him! You're roping other people into this and I don't really want to start a war with this other band!" Naruto pleaded.

Sasuke looked at him expressionlessly and then stalked out of the room. Naruto smiled apologetically at the group of girls and followed after him. He caught up with him on the staircase in the main hall. He tried desperately to keep his balance on the steps.

"Where're you going?"

Tenten appeared from the top of the stairwell carrying a guitar case. She stopped when she saw them approaching.

"Put it back." Sasuke said.

She frowned in confusion, "But I thought…"

Sasuke shook his head, "Another time."

She hesitated and then took the guitar back to a room a little down the hallway. Naruto looked at Sasuke gratefully but he ignored him. An intolerant cough came from behind them.

"Excuse me?" Neji said, casting Naruto a dark look as they moved aside to let him pass. Tenten chose that moment to leave his room.

"Oh, Neji…" She stammered, wide eyed, "I was… just looking for you."

He looked at her momentarily and then blanked her and walked into another room. She looked crestfallen for a few seconds before fixing a smile.

"Close call!" She laughed quietly. Naruto smiled amiably at her as she stole down the stairs back to her group of girls. He watched her out of sight before turning to Sasuke angrily.

"You wouldn't have cared less if she'd got caught. Would you?"

"Not in the slightest."

Naruto gaped at him open mouthed, his head spinning. He decided it would be safer for him to sit on the stairs than continue to argue standing up. Sasuke took the bottle off him, finished it and joined him on the step.

"I don't enjoy having to be your conscience you know." Naruto groaned, resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke said nothing for a few minutes.

"I thought we were supposed to be exploring?" He finally said, jolting Naruto out of a half doze.

"Yeah…" Naruto agreed groggily, "We need more drink!"

"Alright." Sasuke agreed, pulling Naruto to his feet and stumbling downstairs, "First drink, then exploring."

"More wine!" Naruto cried happily.

"If we can find some."

Naruto's footing slipped on the staircase and he slid down the last few steps pulling Sasuke with him. He ended up on his back at the bottom of the stairs, Sasuke's arms and legs either side of him.

"Oww…" He whimpered, grinning and laughing through watering eyes, "This is pretty compromising…"

"You know what would make it worse?" Sasuke sniggered.

"What?"

"If we were naked." He giggled drunkenly in Naruto's ear before nibbling the side of his neck. Naruto protested giddily and wriggled out of his reach before anyone could notice.

"Wine, Sas', wine!" He wailed, staggering to his feet.

"Stop whining. Hah! See what I did there?" Sasuke said, finding himself insanely funny. He used Naruto to pull himself up off the floor and then draped his arms around his shoulders, breathing heavily on his neck. Naruto shook off the shivers creeping up his spine.

"You're weird when you're drunk." He wrinkled his nose and pointed in the direction of the kitchen, "Westward ho!"

Upon reaching the kitchen they substituted wine for the only other thing they could find: a bottle of Malibu. They didn't complain. Kiba caught up with them as they went back to the living room, singing loudly.

"Hey! Where've you been?" He called, jumping over the back of the sofa he had been sitting on.

"Around!" Naruto replied, "You seen any of the others?"

Kiba shook his head then squinted and nodded, "Wait, yeah, I saw Shikamaru and Ino getting pretty friendly a while back. What's going on with that?"

"Yeah, I thought they seemed a bit too cosy."

"Good for them is what I say." Kiba nodded. He then waved his bottle at Naruto and Sasuke in turn, "You two however." He shook his head, "It'll never work."

Naruto stared numbly at him, the alcohol slowing his reactions.

"That was a joke, man." Kiba grinned, "Don't look so worried." Then he frowned, "Hey, should I be the worried one?"

Sasuke put an arm around Naruto's waist and pulled him against him, "Cat's out of the bag, babe. Might as well confess our illicit love affair to the whole house."

Kiba laughed, "I prefer you when you're smashed, Sasuke. You actually have a sense of humour."

Sasuke smiled dryly and opened the Malibu bottle. He took hold of Naruto's arm and began to lead him away.

"Umm… well, see you later then!" Naruto called after Kiba, who nodded and pulled a face before settling back to his game around the table. Naruto turned back to Sasuke, whose grip on his arm was noticeably uncomfortable. The dark-haired boy was chugging the Malibu at an unhealthy rate, "Hey, take it easy!"

Sasuke fixed him with a look in his eyes that Naruto didn't recognise. He stopped him in the hallway, prised one hand off his upper arm and removed the bottle from the other.

"What's wrong? You pissed 'bout what Kiba said? 'Cause he don't know jack!" Naruto tried to reassure drunkenly, taking Sasuke's wrist. Sasuke did not reply and kept his strange expression as he lifted his hands to Naruto's face. Naruto began to feel nervous but Sasuke smiled softly and traced the strange scar on his cheek with his thumb. It was moments too late when he struggled against a kiss that he was gently pulled in to.

* * *

AN: This wasn't originally meant to break here. I realised that I got a bit carried away with that chapter and needed some breathing space. I just love parties! 

A little warning before I launch into it but the next chapter gets a little more… "intimate" than previous chapters. FINALLY!


	13. Mr Mole and the SStation

AN: HUNYAH! Summer, sun, sand and sea... ahhh... I hate them all... Here I am on my hols and doing absolutley jack shit and not even paying my fic the slightest bit of attention. I paid it more attention during my exams! Sorry for the wait. I have no excuse. None at all... On a completely separate note: HARRY POTTER! (runs around in circles) And I get to sell it tonight at midnight! SELL IT! Dressed up! YAY! The joys of working in a bookshop!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: _Mr. Mole and the S-station _

"What are you doing!" He hissed, stepping back from Sasuke's hold as a group of passing partiers whistled and jeered. Sasuke's expression turned from blank to bitter.

"And there we have it: the thing that's bothering me. You ask what's wrong with me? Don't you get it? It's not that he _was_ joking, but that he _could_ joke! I don't get you! What are you so afraid of! What is it that you want? Who even are these people to you!" He said gesturing at the guests milling around, "Do you want this?"

"Sasuke, stop it. We're drunk. Can't we talk about this another time?" Naruto murmured, raising his hands to his eyes.

Sasuke froze. It seemed words were suicidal on the edge of his tongue but he merely smiled coldly, nodded and said in deathly cool tones, "Fine. You don't want to talk about it now, we won't. But this doesn't end here."

"Ok." Naruto swigged at the Malibu he realised was still in his hand and tried to ignore the rapidly spinning room. The people passed by disinterestedly. Sasuke took the bottle back off him and polished it off, "This is so stupid. We shouldn't be arguing." Naruto slurred, placing his hands on Sasuke's collar and swaying against him, a new bout of drunkenness taking over. Sasuke let out a half laugh and placed the empty bottle on a windowsill.

"I thought we were meant to be exploring?" Sasuke grinned.

"Probably."

"Lead the way!" Sasuke pointed somewhere in the direction of the stairs.

"But people live up there!" Naruto giggled, "They might be sleeping!"

"Well, they shouldn't be!" Sasuke shouted at the ceiling, "Come on." He took Naruto's hand and led him up the staircase, "We can sneak around."

"Like ninja!" Naruto cried, leaning on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Exactly." Sasuke agreed, running his hand up the inside of Naruto's t-shirt. Naruto failed to notice.

As they reached the upstairs hallway Sasuke quickly pinned Naruto against the nearest wall, his hands and mouth wandering every bit of skin they could reach. Naruto involuntarily whimpered at the hot tongue caressing the hollow of his neck but quickly changed his attitude to that of protest when his public awareness kicked in. Sasuke silenced him as he focused his attention on Naruto's mouth. The blonde forced himself to pull away from his searching lips.

"Not here! Please…" He pleaded, holding Sasuke's face still so as to force him to look at him. Sasuke hesitated.

"Alright then."

He opened the door next to them and pulled Naruto in. The room was, fortunately, unoccupied and shrouded in darkness. The window allowed a minimal amount of blue-grey light into the room but neither bothered with the light switch. Sasuke closed the door behind Naruto as he pressed him against it. Naruto ran his hand through Sasuke's hair as he kissed him eagerly, feeling his heart rapidly beating against his own. The dark-eyed boy took his hands in his own, entwining their fingers together. He held them firmly above Naruto's head against the door and pressed in harder against the blonde. Naruto struggled to catch his breath and broke away from the kiss. He had a second to breathe before Sasuke attacked him again, biting his lip and forcing himself into his mouth unsparingly. Naruto frowned and tried to move his hands but Sasuke gripped them tightly, his fingernails cutting into the thin skin on the back. Naruto complained and dug in his to get his attention but to no avail. A jolt of panic ran through him, immediately sobering him up. He twisted himself away from Sasuke, trying to break free of his hold but the boy did not relinquish. Naruto's eyes widened observing the light from outside cast an eerie grey outline around Sasuke's silhouette. He bit hard on Sasuke's tongue, his eyes watering from the effort of trying to escape. Sasuke stopped and opened his eyes, hissing curses, Naruto took the opportunity to pull away from his hands but Sasuke grabbed his wrists, his eyes glinting in the half-light. Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He tried to speak but Sasuke pulled him away from the door roughly. Naruto struggled and hit his back on the edge of a desk. He gasped but had little time to think about the pain before he was lying on his back on a bed, his wrists still held above him by Sasuke's hand. The body above him attempted another kiss but Naruto turned his head and let out an angry cry.

"Sasuke! Stop it, you're hurting me!" He hissed under his breath. Sasuke's breathing came short and sharp, his eyes staring blindly into Naruto's. The blonde's back started to throb with pain. Naruto winced and tried to take some of the pressure off it by raising his back from the bed. Sasuke sighed and bent down to place a soft kiss on his moist neck, Naruto unwillingly moaned at the familiar touch and immediately regretted it if only for a few seconds. Sasuke ran one hand down his chest, the other letting go of Naruto's wrists and touching the inside of his thigh. Shivers ran up Naruto's spine and down his legs. His insides melted like candle wax to a flame, all thought of resistance pushed to the corners of his mind. His hands started to work frantically on the buttons of Sasuke's shirt as Sasuke slid his under the back of Naruto's in the hollow between the bed and Naruto's arched spine. As Naruto finished with the buttons, Sasuke pulled the shirt off himself and peeled Naruto out of his. He kissed his stomach deftly, making his way carefully down. Naruto tangled his fingers in Sasuke's hair and chewed his bottom lip as Sasuke started to undo his belt. Realisation at what was about to happen suddenly hit Naruto like an icepack under his ribs.

"Hey, no! We can't do this here! Ah- Sasuke!" Naruto moaned as Sasuke undid the buttons on his trousers, "Sa-! No!" He wriggled free, using all his willpower to stop himself giving in.

"What are you so afraid of? You wanted this, right?" Sasuke purred, positioning himself above Naruto again, his hair falling down across Naruto's cheek, his hand sneaking down into his underwear.

"Wh- can't… can't we wait?" Naruto pleaded. Sasuke growled angrily and Naruto flinched.

"I'm fed up of waiting! Stop running away from me!" Sasuke cried, pulling Naruto back from another retreat. Naruto shrank back at the volume of his voice and placed a finger on Sasuke's lips.

"Alright! Alright! I'm not running away." He heard himself excusing, feeling his heart sink like a lead weight, knowing that it wasn't right to give up so easily. Sasuke met his lips gratefully. Naruto could feel the smile in his kiss and grimaced as his hands took the waist of his trousers and them pulled down and off. His heart sank further, the rest of his body wanting every touch, his face burning with shame. Sasuke's fingers applying expert pressure, making him feel so undeniably turned on. His chest felt tight from holding his breath, trying to avoid letting himself go. Sasuke kissed his neck, leaning into him suggestively. Naruto caught his breath, the feeling in his stomach erased instantly by the surging hormones. He slid his hands down Sasuke's bare chest to his trouser fastenings. Sasuke sat back, his silhouette slim and defined against the window. He breathed deeply, his head tilted up and to the side. Naruto pulled himself up against his chest and breathed in his scent as he undid the last button and kissed Sasuke's cheek lovingly. His heart pounded with apprehension. Sasuke stroked his hair softly before laying him back, his thighs around his waist.

"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured.

The raven-haired boy hushed him and licked his fingers.

The door on the other side of the room slid open, a cascade of yellow light pouring into the room. A figure appeared in the doorway and reached for the light-switch. Sasuke and Naruto froze in a position so awkward it deserved a title far more blatant than 'compromising'.

"Hinata!" A voice called from out in the hall. The figure looked back and turned towards the voice. The person in the hall spoke, their words muffled through the wall. The figure in the doorway closed the door and went back out to the hall.

Sasuke placed a hand over Naruto's mouth as a string of swear words emerged from his lips. He stopped and nodded, his heart beating like crazy with fear. Sasuke laughed quietly and Naruto hit him in exasperation and reached for his clothes. He was furious with himself for letting his libido take a hold over his senses. Sasuke grumbled softly in disappointment and pulled up his trousers. Naruto rolled off the bed and re-clothed himself, trying to be as quiet as possible and all the while fuming silently. He crept over to the door, pulling his t-shirt over his head. Sasuke kissed the back of his neck from behind him and Naruto bristled.

Opening the door a fraction to peer outside, Naruto took Sasuke's sweaty hand and made a break for it out down the hallway, regaining a normal gate when they reached the stairway and burst into hysterical, nervous laughter halfway down.

* * *

Familiar voices roused Naruto the next morning, a pair of familiar eyes peered at him with amusement, inches away from his face. The eyes smiled. 

"Awake then?" Sakura grinned. Naruto sat up suddenly, very much awake, disturbing the arms around his torso.

"Aww, Sakura, you woke them up! I was gunna take a picture and post it on the web!" Kiba moaned loudly.

The owner of the arms groaned beside Naruto and buried his face in the sofa cushion beneath them. Naruto glanced fondly at the untidy mop of blue-black hair and then remembered he had decided to be sulking about the previous night.

"You woke them up with your great big gob, more like!" Sakura argued.

Naruto rubbed his eyes, "What time is it?" He croaked hoarsely. The two ignored him and continued to bicker. Sasuke prodded his leg with a finger and raised his face to give Naruto a one-eyed, sideways look of disgruntlement. Naruto suppressed a snicker. He looked about the upside-down, bombsite of a sitting room. Beer cans and drinks bottles littered every available surface. Just looking at the remains of the huge party gave Naruto a severe headache, causing him to hunch over in agony. Sasuke sat up and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, what's up with him?" Kiba asked, obviously looking for a way out of the argument.

"Hangover." Sasuke informed him as Naruto groaned and clutched his head. Kiba frowned at Sasuke distrustfully but said nothing, watching the hand he held on his friends' back.

Shikamaru entered, holding a jug of water and four glasses, "Who's up for a little re-hydration?" He spotted Naruto and Sasuke and raised an eyebrow at Kiba, "Finally up then? We thought you two were in a coma." He cleared a space on the coffee table to sit on and poured them both a glass, "Most people left a couple of hours ago. With all the noise it's amazing you didn't wake up."

Naruto drank the water deeply, delighting at the soothing coolness that ran down his throat. His headache subsided a little.

"Ino's making breakfast," Shikamaru continued, eyeing Naruto worriedly, "If you're up for it?"

Naruto looked up at the concerned faces of his three friends, saw them exchanging glances, saw their eyebrows knit with uncertainty when they looked past him to the boy in whose arms he had been found sleeping, saw them itching to say things that they knew would have to wait. He forced a bleak smile, "I'm starving!"

Sasuke touched his arm briefly but deliberately as they stood to make their way to the kitchen. Naruto caught his eye and pulled a face, Sasuke smiled weakly and shook his head, his face even more pale than usual. It seemed impossible that they would get away with it this time. If they had reacted to the situation they may have been able to escape questioning, but neither had and strangely Naruto hadn't wanted to. He noted a smug look on Sakura's face.

In the kitchen Ino and another girl, who Naruto recognised as being one of the group with Tenten, were making omelettes for the remaining gaggle of partiers, Tenten among them. She gave he and Sasuke a puzzled frown and smile of recognition. Among the group were Lee and the stoic Neji. Neji firmly glared at Naruto and stood up to leave the room. Naruto ignored him as he walked past and settled himself on a breakfast-bar stool, resting his forehead on the cool marble worktop. Sasuke stroked the back of his head and Naruto's face burned, knowing there was no point in arguing.

"Oh, you managed to wake them up then?" Ino said. Naruto looked up to give her a dark scowl but only managed to raise a surprised eyebrow as Shikamaru crossed over to her and planted a neat kiss on her upturned cheek. She smiled happily and glowed as she fried up the omelette in front of her. Naruto looked around to see anyone else's reaction. Kiba staged a yawn and batted a dismissive hand, it seemed like it was old news.

As Naruto settled into to an undeniably good breakfast, the person he least wanted to see arrived in the kitchen. If anything could have spoiled his meal it was the thought of what might have happened if Hinata had turned on the light. He stared at his plate intently, trying furiously not to look at her and think of the previous night. His cheeks reddened at the memory and Sakura eyed him suspiciously.

"Hi, Hinata! Did you sleep well?" A random girl asked. Naruto blushed further and attacked his omelette vehemently. Sasuke was snickering silently beside him.

"Oh, yes, thank you. Although this morning I found a man's sock on my bedroom floor and was a little confused…" She trailed off.

Naruto choked on his food and attempted to hide his lone bare foot underneath the stool as Kiba slapped his back and offered him his drink. Sasuke was shuddering violently with more silent laughter at Naruto's side. He coughed pathetically and excused himself from his seat. Naruto hit his arm as he passed by and hunched over his plate guiltily, poking at his food with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Yet despite himself, a crooked smile formed on his lips.

"Oh my god." Sakura suddenly said, catching most people's attention. She gaped at Naruto in barefaced shock and then realised everyone was watching her with confused expressions. She laughed grimly and waved her hands frivolously at them, "Oh, it's just… It's a little strange!" Her laugh turning hysterical, "I mean, whose could it be!"

Naruto groaned inwardly but shrugged along with everyone else and quickly finished off his breakfast, removing his remaining sock with his naked toe and stuffing it in his pocket while everyone was distracted.

* * *

When they all piled in the taxi an hour later it was only a matter of minutes before Naruto and Sasuke were interrogated like prime suspects, which was, in all truthfulness, exactly what they were. Naruto nursed a blinding headache and curled up in a ball on the seat, refusing to answer any of the questions. Sasuke firmly ignored everyone until they gave up and sulked for the rest of the journey. Naruto wanted so badly to place himself in Sasuke's arms and be cradled out of the bad dream that he couldn't wake up from. He consoled himself with the hope that it would only take the length of the journey home for him to be able to do that. 

His hope diminished as the taxi stopped outside their house and Ino clicked the lock down on the car door and kept her hand on it.

"We're not getting out until you tell us what's going on between you two." She said threateningly. Naruto groaned. Sasuke sighed.

"Nothing, now just piss off and let us be!" Naruto wailed, reaching forward to remove Ino's hand from the lock. Kiba grabbed his arms and held them behind his back.

"The more you struggle, the longer it'll be before you can take something for that huge hangover of yours." Kiba said. Naruto growled throatily.

"For fucks sake! Why are you bothering?" He cried.

"Because we want to satisfy our insatiable curiosity." Shikamaru said sarcastically and rolled his eyes, "Because we're your friends and you shouldn't have to feel like you have something to hide from us, idiot!"

"We're not hiding anything!" Naruto lied, his head pounding.

"Not very well, at least!" Ino said. She turned to the ignored Sasuke, the partner in crime, "What do you have to say?"

Sasuke shrugged, "No comment."

"Why don't you just tell them?" Sakura cried finally. Naruto looked at her, a sense of betrayal in his glare, "Sorry, Naruto, but they practically know everything anyway." She said apologetically and then added as an angry afterthought, "Oh, and what you did in… well it's unacceptable!"

Naruto hung his head in defeat and looked at Sasuke imploringly. He closed his eyes leisurely.

"There is some truth to what you believe…" He admitted in bored tones.

Ino squealed excitedly, Kiba yelped an: 'I knew it' and Shikamaru said nothing.

"Can we go now?" Naruto moaned, pulling his arms back from Kiba's clutches.

"How serious?" Ino asked, her eyes gleaming manically.

"Enough." Naruto and Sasuke answered in unison and glanced at each other with satisfaction.

"So you guys are gay?" Kiba smirked, scratching behind his ear nervously.

"No!" Naruto howled indignantly.

"Yes." Sasuke said at the same time.

"Well, I'm not!" Naruto cried exasperatedly, "Before you it was girls all the way! I've never looked at another guy that way."

Kiba visibly relaxed. Sakura and Ino glazed over in fan girl mode and then looked at each other and bit their fists in glee.

"Look, can we just go in now?" Naruto glowered, feeling more and more uncomfortable. Ino opened the door, unable to remove the grin from her face and stepped out onto the curb.

As Sakura gathered and paid the fare, Shikamaru clapped Naruto on the back. "Don't get so worked up about it. We're not condemning you! Yeah, the girls are excitable and it might take a while for Kiba to get used to the idea but we're still here for you. Don't feel like you have to hide stuff from us in case you scare us off. We're not that fickle!"

"Thanks." Naruto murmured, smiling glumly through his hangover.

"But no blatant PDA, please. I have a weak constitution." Shikamaru grinned, guiding Naruto to the front door.

"PD what?"

* * *

AN: (Eats pocky, the joys of having a sister in Japan). Couldn't keep it from that nosy lot forever. Ku ku ku… Poor Hinata. On a different note, is anyone wondering where Iruka went? Neglected for Naruto's new toy boy, much? Oh, and did anyone get the title for this chapter? If you didn't, remove the words 'and' and 'the' and then say it aloud. Ka piche? 

Reviews reviews... do I reply? Oh go on then... I haven't got anything better to do!

twi5tedneko: Thank you! Do you seriously hear them speaking with English accents? Ahahaaha! Hoh... I'll have to think of something quintessentially British to give you... (Naruto gives you Devonshire (home!) scone)

Inzomniak: Why have a life when you can have ESCAPISM! Thank you v. much! (Naruto offers you a cookie)

Kisu: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, poor Lee... I do love him very much but he's not the most attractive character in the Naruto cast... And funny you should mention the phrase "Battle of the Bands"... (evil grin) Well you'll see what I mean eventually... you'll just have to keep on reading! (Naruto gives you a cookie)

oOKeairaOo: I love how enthusiastic your reviews are! Please don't ever change! (Naruto gives you a bag of cookies (suitable for diabetics of course)) I think all of your questions were answered?"All this and more in the next installment of 'Bandage!'" That phrase brings up bad memories of the awful DBZ dub... (cries). You better not have gone on hunger strike! Anyone that did would have died let alone gone into a coma from my poor updating speed!


	14. Overrated Perfection

AN: Waaaah... I'm catching up with myself. I feel mean if I don't update for ages but if I don't slow down I won't have anything to give you and you'll have to wait even longer. Luckily my new stuff seems to have taken a randy turn. Or "Horni-fic-ation" as I like to call it. Well anyway... Fic time.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: _Overrated Perfection_

Naruto sat on his stool and watched the light bounce off the glass of water he held in his hands, sending disks of illumination dancing across his room like fireflies in a cave. He held the glass to his eye and gazed at the blurry patterns it burned into his retina.

It was later that afternoon: A deep, dark blue smothered the sky, a pale half-moon cut cleanly into its surface. Although it was not as late as it seemed: the winter months stripped away the daylight.

As soon as Naruto had gotten home that morning he had taken the necessary pills and collapsed into bed. He had woken several hours later with a heavy but ache-free head and wandered downstairs blearily. As he had entered the kitchen the conversation that had been taking place in his absence ceased. An awkward silence that lasted only a few moments seemed to drag forever until Kiba had jumped off the side counter and slapped Naruto's back amiably.

"Feeling better?" He had asked, smiling far too broadly to be casual.

"Yes, I think." Naruto had replied doubtfully as a sick feeling coated the insides of his stomach like turpentine. Sakura had rolled her eyes at him as he sent her a look of confusion. Looking back on it as he gazed at the specs of light, he hesitated to think the sick feeling had anything to do with illness, more rather that his friend felt he had to treat him differently. Now that he was…

After pouring his glass of water, Naruto had retreated from the kitchen. Another conversation struck up as he left the room. For only a second he experienced a feeling that he hadn't felt since he had joined the band: Isolation. As he had walked up the stairs a figure in black met him at the top. Naruto had hesitated and then edged wordlessly past him, refusing to make eye contact. He had felt eyes on his back as he walked into his room and closed the door.

Now as he drank a little of the water and watched as the ripples sent swirling patterns bouncing off onto his walls, the depressing feeling he had experienced a flash of earlier sank down his throat as if in the water itself. He held the glass out before him and glared at it with distrust.

Darkness covered his vision as Sasuke stood in front of the lamp and removed the source of his interest. Although surprised that he hadn't noticed him enter the room, Naruto feigned disinterest, sighed and lowered the glass to his lips.

"You can't ignore me forever." Sasuke informed him. Naruto shrugged and took a sip.

"I'm not ignoring you." He said mildly.

It was Sasuke's turn to sigh, "Alright then. Would you stop avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you either."

"You're being obnoxious." Sasuke said through gritted teeth, folding his arms across his chest. Naruto shrugged again and picked up a book. Sasuke put a hand to his forehead and said in a tone that suggested that he was in no mood to play games, "Would you at least tell me what this is about?"

"I'm a little busy right now, come back later."

Sasuke took the book out of his hands and put it to one side. He then took a deep calming breath, "Naruto, please answer my question."

Naruto looked him in the eye, "I think you already know what the problem is…"

"What? Confirming our relationship with a group of people that are supposed to be your friends? Is that your deal? Because if it is, it's a pretty lame excuse to use to brush me off."

"They're your friends too, I'm not brushing you off, and no, you dip-shit."

Sasuke pulled a face, "Then what is it!" Naruto remained stonily silent. Sasuke waited a moment, every pore seeming to fill with repressed fury until he could no longer contain it, "Fine! Screw you! That's the last time I concern myself with your childish mind games! If you aren't going to tell me what I did wrong then I can't fix anything. So I'm taking it facedown that you don't want me to care if I upset you!"

Naruto laughed, "You're such an idiot."

Sasuke visibly fumed but chewed the side of his mouth and said nothing. When Naruto didn't explain his comment he scowled and turned to leave the room.

"Wait. Sasuke..." Naruto said, and the raven-haired boy paused and turned back, looking expectant, "You were a dick last night." Naruto enlightened him, his expression bland. Sasuke glared expressionlessly back.

"And? Is that any different from usual?" He smirked irksomely.

Naruto gave a wry smile, "Not really. But, in particular you did try to rape me."

Sasuke raised a bemused eyebrow, "I wouldn't go as far as to say that…"

"Well, I just did. And I want you to know if you ever treat me like that again I will not only never speak to you again but I will also castrate you with a rusty saw."

"Duly noted, thanks for the warning." Sasuke grinned.

"What are you looking so happy about?" Naruto frowned, returning to gaze at the reflected light and forcing his own happy smile into a grimace of disapproval. He wasn't prepared to let Sasuke get away with it that soon. Sasuke wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Nothing." He replied, burying his face in Naruto's shoulder, "Nothing but you."

The feeling of loneliness vanished.

* * *

It was only later that night that Naruto realised how shallow the replacement of emotion had been. The loneliness was still there and it would remain there until he could trust Sasuke. And although he would like to think he could trust him now he knew in his heart of hearts that Sasuke was as unpredictable as a cat on a moped and easily as dangerous. He loved him but he knew he couldn't trust him. The boy may swear blindly that he would never accost him again but even if he himself thought he meant it, when it came down to it Sasuke was obviously unstable. 

Naruto hated himself for his revelation. _Why can't I just be happy with what I have and get over it?_ He reflected angrily over a pot of instant noodles in front of the TV. Sasuke dozed peacefully against his shoulder. Naruto realised that it was one of the rare moments that he had actually seen him asleep. He wondered if it symbolised a change in their relationship. Had Sasuke never lowered himself to that moment of weakness on purpose? Naruto supposed he was reading too much into it but contented himself with the thought that maybe now Sasuke felt _he_ trusted _him_. This thought in its self comforted Naruto.

Sakura came into the sitting room with a mug of hot chocolate and folded her legs beneath her as she sat in the armchair and blew the mists that curled off her drink. She glanced the two of them over and then watched the movie that was showing on the TV. Naruto couldn't help feeling edgy.

Several minutes went by before Sakura interrupted a tense moment in the film and almost made Naruto jump out of his skin.

"Relax." She said, "You're so tense I keep on thinking you'll snap with the pressure and it's distracting me from the movie."

Naruto blinked. Sasuke sighed in his sleep and shifted against his arm. Sakura looked at him thoughtfully.

"You wouldn't think he was such a snot-rag looking at him like that." She said, "If I was you I'd feed him sedatives so he'd never wake up and harass me."

Naruto smiled, "It's an idea." He frowned and hesitated on the question that had been bugging him since she entered the room, "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Not at all." Sakura laughed, "Why would it?"

Naruto shrugged, "'Cause… I dunno. You like Sasuke."

"Correction: Liked. I actually feel a whole lot better about the whole thing. At least now I know he's gay and it's not just because I'm hideous or something. Plus, you two look adorable together."

Naruto grunted derisively and yawned.

"So, anyway, I'm not being a very good fag hag. You haven't told me a thing!" Sakura continued just as Naruto started to watch the film again.

"There isn't much to tell. Leastways when-" He nodded his head at Sasuke's dormant form, "-is around."

Sakura nodded, "Fine. I'll let you off the hook tonight but I am booking a filling in session with you in the not too distant future. Don't roll your eyes at me. You're not escaping me again."

Sasuke drew a long breath and stretched, almost smacking Naruto in the face. He leant back into his lap and opened his eyes drowsily.

"Hey." He smiled lazily at Naruto.

Naruto felt the intense desire to incorporate him into his very being develop from nowhere. The only thing that stopped him was Sakura's presence and the part of him that realised that, other than by an act of cannibalism, the notion was physically impossible to carry out. Some serious "hugging" would have occurred nonetheless.

"Hey." He replied instead. A poor substitute.

"Ok, well, I'm just going to go get some munchies. Do either of you want anything?" Sakura asked in amused tones. Sasuke turned to her voice but did not seem surprised or bothered either way.

"Nah, I was just going to go turn in." Naruto said.

"I'll have some- ow!" Sasuke started to say before Naruto jabbed him in the side, "Nothing. Thanks."

Sakura left the room with a suspicious smile.

"What's up with you?" Sasuke asked, his eyes half-closed with languid weariness.

"We're sleeping in your room tonight." Naruto informed him.

One eye opened a little more in a questioning squint, "Why?"

"Because I'm bored of my room."

"But your bed smells like you!" Sasuke moaned.

"And your room smells like you!" Naruto countered.

"But I can't smell me!"

"Oh, boo-hoo!"

Sasuke said nothing in retaliation but seemed to be weighing over the idea in his mind.

"There's really nothing to consider. And it means Kiba won't wander in in the morning!"

"A small consolation."

"Why are you so hung up about it?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I don't really get the best nights sleep in there and we have a lecture tomorrow."

"Well, maybe that's 'cause you didn't have me around!" Naruto grinned and pushed him teasingly. When Sasuke didn't reply Naruto squished in his cheeks and pressed his own forehead against his, "Come on, don't be a brat."

Sasuke "hmph"-ed and sat up. Naruto grinned at his victory and stood, pulling a grumbling Sasuke up with him.

"Sasuke's bed! Sasuke's bed!" Naruto sang tunelessly as he pushed Sasuke up the stairs.

"Shut up or I'll reconsider." Sasuke growled.

"That didn't even rhyme! Put more effort into it, Sas'. You could've said, "Shut up or I'll beat your head" or anything! I'm disappointed." Naruto prodded him.

"_I_ will if you don't!" Ino yelled from her room, "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Naruto paused and sucked in his cheeks, "Ino's getting cranky! She wants some hanky panky! She's not exactly picky! She'll even take our Shiky!" He sang and ran into Sasuke's room before Ino came out to satiate her bloodlust. Sasuke sighed and followed him at a more laid-back pace.

"You're such an idiot." He said as he closed the door behind him and took off his shirt.

"Absolute genius." Naruto snickered, watching Sasuke undress with mild interest as he sat himself on the bed and tested the mattress. Sasuke said nothing.

Naruto turned on the bedside light. "You tired?" He asked.

Sasuke grunted an affirmative.

"Ok." Naruto nodded.

Sasuke looked at him enquiringly but Naruto just smiled and picked up the nearest book. Sasuke paused before gently taking the book off him and returning it to its rightful place. He knelt beside the bed in front of Naruto and folded his arms across Naruto's knees.

"We have all the time in the world." He said, taking Naruto's hand and gingerly tracing its contours with his own fingers, "And just knowing that is the best feeling… it's amazing. It's completely amazing how you've managed to turn me around. This time last year 'all the time in the world' sounded like an eternity of hell. But somehow…

"I'm not going to make any more mistakes with you. Last night was the last time. So you don't have to feel like you have to finish it. Next time will be totally different. It won't be a mistake. It'll be perfect."

Naruto sat in awkward silence wanting to say or do something in response but nothing seemed appropriate. Sasuke kissed his fingers and stood up.

"Go get ready for bed." He said softly, a hint of humour lifting the corner of his mouth.

Naruto grinned, "'Love you."

"I know."

* * *

AN: Mm. Lovely. 

**:IMPORTANT:** Well, yes and no. I thought I'd say that to grab your attention and make you read this tho. **AUTHOR NEEDS HELP! **I'm kinda stuck for a decent name for the band... I thought of and dismissed a few (that I will not share for fear of being tied to a pole and shot) So I'd really... (puts hands together and bows head) really appreciate some suggestions from you gorgeous, lubberly lot. **BE SERIOUS NOW!** The winner will get the "awesome" prize of having **a scene of their description added into the fic** (as long as it's not too inane). So that could be anything from a **kinky boudoire scene** to a **trip to the zoo**! WHOO! **Double prize!** Wow, looks like subliminal messaging! XD! Why do I get the feeling this will be disasterous... PROVE ME WRONG!

**Revi****ew Replies**: (This Chapters gift is a handshake from the Sexy Salacious Side-Character Shikamaru)  


**Lelith**: Yay! Reading it twice! An indication that you enjoyed it alot. That's what I want to hear! Thank you v. much! (Shikamaru offers his hand)

**OokamiHanyouGurl**: Ooh... Neji... what a rude young man... Well, he certainly has something shifty about him doesn't he? You'll see, you'll see... (Shikamaru raises an eyebrow and gives you his hand)

**calpis**: Ramble for as long as you like. The longer the review the happier I am... and I do horde these reviews... and show them off to people... and print them off and pin them to my wall. OK, I don't do the last one but everything else is true! Well, I'm not going to give too much away but I will tell you that YES Neji will return! Fairly obvious, ne? Will a rivalry emerge between these two bands? I'd be lying if I said no... (Shikamaru nods knowingly and offers you his hand... dare you take it!)

**oOKeairaOo**: He IS such a poof. The curse seal form proves it. Why Naruto didn't burst out laughing when he saw it I don't know. I did. I wanted to keep the reactions as true to the characters as possible... I think Ino escaped me a little but... to be honest I don't care. Does that make me a bad person...? XD! Thank you for the review as always (Shikamaru recognises you as a Shiky fan and smiles before offering his hand)

**Trio Wing**: ) Yes, yes I do have a weird sense of humour. I've had it likened to Kakashi's before. I wasn't sure how to react to that so I just tugged up my mask and shrugged it off before reading my favourite book. Thank you for the review! (Shikamaru removes **oOKeairaOo** from his arm before offering his slightly damp hand to you)

**NEXT CHAPTER**: The Special Review Prize will be a giant glomp from Kiba so: GET REVIEWING!


	15. Hic Veritas Spectaro

AN: Hello gals and... gals... Do I have any male readers? I doubt it. If there are any please feel free to correct me! It's been a looooong time hasn't it? I'm very sorry! To quote Greenday: "Summer has come and past. The innocent can never last.Wake me up when september ends." Or something to that effect is very apt right now. I hope you haven't all forgotten about this humble little fic after the long long summer. Naruto has reached the American and Canadian shores while I'm stuck here twiddling my thumbs and watching TERRIBLE filler subs. Although from the sounds of it I'm not missing out on the dub too badly. (Athrun plushie dances and gestures for the author to STFU and let them read the story). OK OK! Sorry! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: _Hic Veritas Spectaro_

Sasuke jolted awake covered in a cold sweat and stared at the ceiling with wide eyes, panting lightly, the images of his nightmare still vivid in his mind. He turned his head to see if he had woken the person beside him but Naruto slept soundly on, his mouth slightly open giving him the innocent and fragile look of a small child. Sasuke contemplated waking him up so he could selfishly filch some reassurance from his concern but decided against it. The blonde rolled over and started to snore quietly. Sasuke cringed and pulled himself shakily out of the bed. While the repercussionsof his dream still lingered in his mind and upon his quiveringflesh he knew he would get no sleep so he pulled on a sweater and grabbed his phone before stealing silently down the stairs and into the kitchen. He fixed himself a coffee and two slices of buttered toast before sitting on the kitchen table and watching his phone in front of him. He didn't expect it to ring, and it didn't, but he couldn't decide whether to use it or not. Swallowing his last mouthful of toast hepicked up the phone anddialled before he even realised it. A groggy voice answered in less than unimpressed tones.

"H'lo?"

"Hi."

"Sasuke? Is that you? Do you know what time it is!"

"No."

"It's 4:30… Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"So… why are you ringing me then?"

"…You said I could call you at any time."

"Really? That was stupid of me."

"…"

The earpiece fuzzed in Sasuke's ear as the person on the other end sighed.

"You wouldn't ring me if there wasn't something wrong. Otherwise you could've rung me in the last three weeks. What's the problem?"

"Nothing. I just wanted someone to talk to."

"I think I'm offended."

Sasuke smiled faintly at the mock hurt in the voice. He felt a vague pang of guilt. Naruto had been right: He shouldn't have ignored Kakashi for so long.

"So why couldn't you just talk to Uzumaki?" Kakashi prodded.

"He's asleep."

"So was I."

"Yeah, but it seems cruel to wake _him_ up."

Kakashi laughed dryly, "You really have a knack for insulting me, don't you?"

"I've had a while to perfect it." Sasuke smirked.

"Mm…" Kakashi murmured in absent-minded accord. A moment of natural silence followed before Sasuke continued.

"I dreamt about it again."

"Ah. So that's why you rang. Are you ok? Do you want me to come round?"

"No. Thanks." Sasuke said slowly and pointedly.

"Does he know about it?" Kakashi asked.

"Who? Oh. No."

"Why?"

"Because he loves me." Sasuke replied bluntly.

It was Kakashi's turn to be silent. Sasuke could almost hear the sirens going off in his brain. It wasn't like Kakashi didn't know about his sexual preferences: he wasn't a parent that hehad hidden it from. But the parental concern lived in him nonetheless, despite how many times Sasuke had accused him of acting too paternal.

"Because he loves you; you haven't told him?" Kakashi reiterated.

"Yes."

Kakashi hesitated, "Do you love him?"

"I don't know."

"If you don't then there isn't an issue. If you do then you seriously have to think about telling him." He lectured in drawling tones.

"Yeah, I know."

"Good." Kakashi yawned, "So how come _I_ know?"

"You know perfectly well why." Sasuke squinted his eyes into suspicious slits.

"Damn. I thought I had you there."

He could practically hear the twisted smile in his voice, "Don't be a pervert."

"Me?" Kakashi cried indignantly.

"Go to sleep."

"Ditto." He chuckled.

"Oyasu."

"Oyasumi nasai."

Sasuke hung up. He looked out of the window at the lightening sky and suddenly felt undeniably tired. He traipsed back up the stairs and into his room. Back in his bed he wrapped his arms around Naruto to warm himself. As his cold toes touched the back of Naruto's legs the boy mumbled and curled himself into the foetal position. Sasuke smiled contentedly and moulded against his shape like spoons in a drawer.

"Oyasu." He murmured softly.

"Ohayo." Naruto grumbled back.

* * *

The second gig came and went, and the third and fourth. Frost glittered on the grass every morning and the sky was already dark when Naruto and Sasuke walked home from lectures, hiding their faces in scarves, their breath coming out in whirling mists. The Christmas holidays were nearing and more and more people recognised the band members in the street. They had changed a few songs, covered others and written new ones, their reputation improving by the week. 

Despite the odd few days, the students had little time to socialise. Essays piled up and with the band practices taking up a lot of free time they saw less of one another than a cloudless sky. When not studying or practicing they spent their time eating or sleeping, occasionally nipping out to buy food. Because of this Naruto and Sasuke had found little time to spend together.

Naruto had given in to Sasuke's request that they go back to sleeping in his room after Sasuke had woken him up in the early hours of the morning three nights in a row. Even so ever since then Sasuke had seemed a little more distant. Naruto was incredibly put down by it. It had seemed as if everything was going so well. Sasuke had been starting to act more human but now it was as if another barrier had sprung up to replace the old one and it couldn't be tackled in the same way as the symptoms were different. Naruto would often see a distant look in his eyes on the rare occasions he had with him and he was becoming increasingly rude to anyone but Naruto and Kakashi. This reclaimed friendship with his lecturer/guardian was worrying him also, despite it being his apathetic suggestion to talk to him again. Although they didn't talk that much it bothered Naruto that Sasuke could find time to talk to him when there was so little for them to share. He prayed it would clear up when they had less work and everything had settled down.

Naruto could also tell that Sasuke was becoming impatient and Naruto often felt the same way. It wasn't as if he didn't want to finish what they had started at the party but it just seemed like every time either was willing the other was not. "All the time in the world" was starting to seem like a fragile ornament that was kept in a box and never on display so no one could appreciate its beauty.

Naruto clenched his fist as he pondered it over and over and never came to a solution. Sasuke wasn't beside him, and even when he was he was always looking ahead at some far off point on the horizon. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his coat around him tightly against the biting wind. He felt numb, inside and out and the thought that as soon as he got home he would just have to sit down and write more to his dissertation was bringing him down further.

A gloved hand grabbed his shoulder firmly. Naruto felt a wave of happiness hit him like a blow to the chest and he stopped to grin and look at the owner, feeling the need to be held and warmed against a particular familiar body more then he felt the desire to breath.

"Sa-!" He started as he looked over his shoulder, expecting to meet a pair of incredibly sexy dark eyes, but he was stopped in his tracks by what were most definitely _not_ a pair of eyes. Rather, two eyes that did not match and were marginally higher up than Sasuke's were. Naruto came face to face with the straight, classically handsome features of the lecturer who had been the focus of a number of his musings.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted him, his voice faintly muffled behind a scrumptiously soft-looking grey scarf. Naruto realised that this was the first time he had seen the man outside of the lecture hall. As is what often happens when a student meets a teacher outside of the work place, Naruto became vaguely confused at how suddenly this made Kakashi seem more like a real person.

"Hi…" Naruto replied, returning from his thoughts.

"Cold out today, isn't it?"

"Mm. Wouldn't be surprised if we had snow soon." Naruto agreed. This wasn't normal. Naruto did not feel comfortable making small talk with this man.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm in the area?" Kakashi asked, getting straight to the point. When Naruto looked at him blankly he continued, "You probably think it's something about Sasuke, right?" Naruto blinked, "Well, it's not." Naruto raised an enquiring eyebrow, he wanted the silver-haired man to leave him alone and let him go home and sulk in peace, "No. It's about you actually."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, startled. Kakashi nodded.

"Your personal tutor asked me to check up on you."

"Iruka!" Naruto suddenly felt terribly guilty. He had completely forgotten him. He tried to recall the last time he had spoken to him but Kakashi was talking again.

"Yes. Apparently he hasn't seen you for a number of weeks and when I said that I'd been hearing a lot about you recently he turned an unhealthy shade of blue, which, as you can imagine, is quite worrying for a man of his complexion. I suggest you get hold of him when you get home."

Naruto nodded glumly and then a thought sprung into his mind, "Should you really be discussing students with your colleagues?"

It was Kakashi's turn to raise an eyebrow, his was arched with obvious amusement, "Oh, I wasn't gossiping about you in the work place. We were simply discussing similar… troubles as friends…"

The man's wistfulness niggled at Naruto like a cat with a ball of wool. _My ass you were,_ He thought angrily. This anger must have betrayed his eyes as Kakashi watched him intently and then looked to the side thoughtfully.

"Well…" Kakashi shrugged, "It's not my style to gossip about problem students with anyone, let alone close friends. So you don't have to worry about what I might've said to 'Ru about yourself and Sasuke."

Naruto gaped. The way Kakashi talked was so casual but his words drilled into him and left a splintered hole: 'Problem students', 'Ru'. _Where the hell does he get off calling Iruka "'Ru"? Sounds like some sickly little nickname given to a small child or a-_

_Sas'._

Naruto's eyes widened. His mind reeled. Kakashi's eyes were smiling in a way that hinted that the smile underneath the scarf was anything but innocent.

"Make sure you get those essays in on time. See you soon." Kakashi kept the tainted twinkling eyes as he made his move to go. Naruto couldn't even reply. He raised his hand in a weak wave and then turned to walk home. His pace quickened a few moments later.

Naruto was going to get this horrible mental image out of his head as soon as he could. He had to talk to Iruka.

* * *

"Kakashi? Hatake Kakashi?" Iruka's voice asked incredulously over the phone. 

Naruto picked at the crumbling plaster on the wall beside the phone in the kitchen irritably and frowned, "Yes." Iruka exhaled noisily into the mouthpiece and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "That man…" Naruto's scowl deepened.

"Yes, I spoke to him about you. Because he _should_ see you more often than I do and I wanted to know that you weren't lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

"You could've rung me!" Naruto argued.

"I did! But every time you were out at band practice or something. I left a message with about three different people! Didn't they tell you?"

"No…" Naruto replied, trying desperately to remember an occasion when his housemates had told him about calls. He suddenly remembered the rule that the girls had discussed when they had all moved in. Any messages were to be left in note form by the phone. The words, "I will not be an answer-phone service" echoed ominously in the back of Naruto's head. He picked up a book beside the phone that was conveniently hiding the notebook with all the messages in. He flipped through it.

"Huh, Mimi rang…" He thought out loud.

"What?" Iruka said suspiciously, "Well, anyway, I've been worried sick and it's just like you to not give a thought to those who aren't directly surrounding and affecting your everyday life. It's about time that you-"

Naruto listened to Iruka lecture with half an ear as the front door clicked open and then smoothly clapped shut. He heard the person take off their coat with a rustle of clothing and then remove their shoes and- the next move would determine who it was- put them under the stairs. Naruto grinned.

"Are you listening to me?" Iruka asked, bringing Naruto out of his reverie.

"Huh? What? Oh. Yeah." Naruto replied giving Sasuke a soft smile as he leant against the doorframe and watched him.

Iruka sighed again, "You're such a pain. I think we should continue this conversation another time in person. As you're obviously not listening to a word I'm saying."

"Sorry." Naruto said, trying to hide the grin in his voice as Sasuke waved a burrito under his nose.

"No use apologising now. I'll meet you tomorrow for lunch. Come to my office when you finish your lecture."

"Alright." Naruto mumbled through a stolen mouthful of Sasuke's lunch.

"See you then."

"Buh." Naruto said before hanging up.

"I met Nara in town. We have another practice at six." Sasuke informed him as he emptied his shopping bags into the appropriate cupboards. Naruto groaned.

"Does that boy have no work to do?"

Sasuke shrugged, "That or he doesn't find it a problem."

"Alright for some. Need to get down to my dissertation. As you've finished yours already you wanna help me?" Naruto grinned, hooking his finger into Sasuke's sweater collar and gazing imploringly up at him.

"No. Do it yourself." Sasuke grinned evilly back.

Naruto pouted, "You're no fun."

"Get to it." Sasuke said, turning Naruto around by the shoulders and pushing him out of the kitchen.

"I ran into Kakashi earlier."

Sasuke paused, "Oh?"

"Yeah, he told me I wasn't allowed to see you anymore." Naruto teased.

Sasuke let out a sardonic snort, "Don't lie."

"Would I? Nah, he didn't say that. But he has managed to officially creep the hell out of me. What is his deal?"

"Kakashi? He just has a bizarre sense of humour."

"Hmm. Maybe. So he was probably just joking about him and Iruka to wind me up." Naruto said, feeling much happier about the subject already.

Sasuke laughed in a mocking way that made Naruto lose his confidence, "Oh, yeah, he was winding you up, alright. But he wasn't joking."

Naruto froze.

* * *

Iruka closed his eyes and breathed deeply to calm his nerves as the wild blonde in front of his desk pointed an accusing finger and wailed something unintelligible. 

"Would you like to say that again more clearly?" He asked when he opened them again. Naruto whined and clutched his head, "Naruto, I can't answer you if I don't know what you've said."

"Idon'twannaknow!" The blonde howled and slumped in the chair by the desk.

"Want to know what?" Iruka asked patiently.

Kakashi chose that moment to pop his head around and knock on the open door, "'Ruka, you still up for tonight? Genma said he'd- Oh, Uzumaki."

Naruto sat bolt upright at his voice and scowled at him with murderous intent, "Him!" He hissed, pointing his finger at his lecturer and turning to Iruka with probing eyes.

"Kakashi, what did you say to Naruto to make him so frantic?"

"Not much." Kakashi grinned. Iruka stared. Naruto coiled up on his seat like a cornered cat as he watched his guardian's face fall.

"You are so dead." Iruka broke the silence and gathered up his coat. Kakashi left them, humming and smirking and paying no attention to Iruka's threat. Iruka sucked the air in through clenched teeth and turned to Naruto with a meek smile, "Let's go get some lunch."

Naruto glared at him over his scarf and didn't move from the chair.

"Don't look at me like that. Are you hungry or not?"

Naruto grumbled and sloped after Iruka as they left the building and headed into town.

"So what have you been up to?" Iruka asked amiably.

"Stuff." Naruto answered vaguely, glowering like a spoilt child.

"Like what?" Iruka was determined to keep the smile on his face. The vein in his temple throbbed ominously.

Naruto shrugged, "Just stuff."

The muscle underneath Iruka's eye twitched, "How's the band?"

"Fine."

"I've been hearing good things about it. Seems like you're becoming something of a celebrity among the student population."

Naruto hoisted his bag to a more comfortable position on his shoulder and said nothing. Iruka ran a pink tongue over his teeth to stop himself from saying anything argumentative.

"You still seeing that girl?" He tried again to make light conversation.

"What?" Naruto replied before he paused and let out a bark of wicked laughter. Iruka turned to him worriedly to meet his grinning face and incongruous eyes, "Classic. Just classic."

"What is? Naruto-" Iruka began, his impatience getting the better of him, but Naruto waved a dismissive hand and continued to grin to himself as if with a personal joke. Iruka fumed.

They reached the café a few minutes later, not saying a word more to one another before they sat down at a table and ordered. Iruka smoothed out the tablecloth in front of him before starting to speak. Naruto watched him with amused interest, a sarcastic smirk still playing on his lips. Iruka refused to meet his eyes.

"Well, I don't know what you've heard but-"

"You're fucking Kakashi, aren't you?"

"Naruto!"

The impetuous blonde youth shrugged and folded his arms. Iruka massaged his temples and tried to gather his thoughts after being scattered by the brazen accusation. Did the boy have no tact?

"Well, you are aren't you? You haven't denied it!" Naruto said. He hadn't yet decided whether he was disgusted or jealous. Iruka cringed but Naruto continued, "Damn it! It's all your fault then!"

"I wouldn't exactly say that I was- What?" Iruka started but suddenly processed Naruto's last sentence. He looked up at the boy again who was looking stricken with an undertone of something that seemed to be… humour. For the first time since Naruto had entered his office, Iruka noticed that his usually scruffy ward was looking abnormally well presented. In fact, he wasn't sure that he wasn't wearing new clothes altogether. In all the years that he had known the blonde he had never gone out of his way to buy clothes.

"I always wondered why you never took up those invitations to dinner or went on dates. I just figured that you were shy or something. Or that maybe 'cause you had to look after me it would just be too complicated but I never thought you batted for the other team!"

"Naruto."

"Well, I guess it's about time. So how long has it been going on? Can't be that long… And there you were lecturing me about how I was moving too fast. Sasuke was only talking about how Kakashi was-"

"Sasuke? Uchiha?"

"Yeah, Kakashi spoken about him? Funny. If I'd been living with an incredibly attractive albeit mentally fragile boy for a year I certainly wouldn't tell my new squeeze about it. Oh, wait. I have!"

Iruka was becoming increasingly confused and a little disturbed by Naruto's tirade. He was finding it difficult to keep up with him at the speed he was ranting. He suddenly recognised this behaviour. It was the kind Naruto adopted when he was trying to get out of trouble and shift the blame.

"'Cept, unlike Hatake, I decided not to tell you. Guess that means he's more honest than I am. Either that or I'm just assuming he told you like you assumed stuff about me. The irony!"

"Naruto! What the hell are you talking about? What's Sasuke got to do with it? This isn't just about Kakashi and me anymore, is it?"

Naruto looked at him silently. Their drinks were set before them by a hovering waitress, who soon got bored when they didn't continue their riveting conversation and left when neither said anything to each other or even touched their drinks. As she flounced away Iruka poured a minimal amount of milk into his tea and waited patiently for Naruto to spill the beans, which he inevitably would. The blonde sucked the froth off his cappuccino and then set it back down again, licking his lips.

"No." He said quietly.

"So what's the deal?" Iruka asked benevolently.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Naruto winced.

"Yes."

"Sasuke."

"Yes. What about him?"

"Me and Sasuke."

"Sasuke and I." Iruka corrected immediately.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Yes."

Iruka paused, waiting for Naruto to elaborate, and then his eyes widened, "Oh. I see." Iruka took a sip from his tea, "So that's what you were raving about."

"Yup."

"But you always had… girlfriends."

"Yup."

"So…"

"Sasuke's different."

"Apparently so."

Naruto suddenly smiled, "So we're even."

Iruka breathed a sigh of relief, "You're not bothered about…"

Naruto shook his head and then squinted and waggled his hand in a gesture that meant, "maybe a little" and then said, "Kind of feels incestuous… 'cause, yunno, Kakashi's like Sasuke's guardian and you're mine and in the grand scheme of things it looks a little strange… But we were together first!"

Iruka laughed heartily. The meeting hadn't turned out to be as suicidal as he had once thought. Although Naruto's confession had surprised him he supposed the boy was feeling much the same way about him, and perhaps indeed feeling the same way for Sasuke ashe felt for Kakashi.

Naruto, however, was putting on a brave face. He didn't know how long it would take for him to get used to the idea of his personal tutors relationship with his lecturer. He felt a little on edge, like some huge conspiracy was going on behind his back. Why had Kakashi practically told him? He neither had nor wanted any ties to the silver-haired man with the odd sense of humour and the knowing eyes. Just how much did he really know? What had Iruka said about him? What had Sasuke said? In any case, Kakashi had not breathed a word about he and Sasuke to Iruka and Naruto supposed he had earned a little respect for that.

And then Naruto realised that he most certainly did have ties to his lecturer. Now both of the people closest to him were on close terms with the man. Naruto unnervingly concluded that he would probably see a lot more of Kakashi in the future than he cared to.

* * *

AN: Perhaps a longer chapter than usual. I wanted to wrap up the KakaIru side of it pretty quickly as it's not the main focus of the story (duh) but I needed to use the relationship as a trampoline. 

**I LOVE YOU ALL! **All of the reviews are so encouraging and some (practically all) bring a tear to my eye! **BLESS YOUR LITTLE COTTONS!**

**Kiba gives ALL of a HUUUUUUUUUGE glomp! **

I would love to reply to you all but I don't think I could answer all 35 of you! **35!** JUST FOR CHAPTER 14! (cries with glee) Well, I suppose I did leave you for a while... I'm not dead! I'm still writing... very slowly... Ok ok ok. I feel mean if I reply to only a few of you so if you feel like having loving appreciation poured upon you just drop me a line, my addy's on my profile. **CHEERS M'DEARS! **(Hurray for coloquialisms!)

After careful deliberation (seriously careful) I have chosen the band name. Everyone's suggestions were awesome, I'm not kidding. Some of them I loved so much but couldn't justify giving to the four bunions. But I do have a winner. However...

**THE WINNER OF THE BAND NAME COMPETITION IS: **

Well, y'see... right. I do have one! Don't runaway yet! I haven't taken anyone's idea specifically. BUT! There was one person who No.1: Inspired the name I eventually chose and No.2: Gave my own band a name!

**The winner is: **

**GaaraBelongsToMe**

CONGRATULATIONS! I shall be awaiting your idea.

Shall I tell you what the band name is then? Shall I? Or shall I make you wait...? KU KU KU! (zips mouth)

I'll tell you **my** band's name tho: "Too Late For Never" THANK YOU FOR THAT! Our name will be written in lights one day... 

**(Woah this is a long AN)**

**NEXT CHAPTER**: The Special Review Prize will be a kiss on the cheek from Iruka so: GET REVIEWING!


	16. Merrily On High

AN: Guess what! If you saved this whole fic in Word (as I obviously do) then this is the 100th page! WHEE! Over 40,000 words (not including review replies). That's practically a small novel! And if I change the setting so that there's two pages per A4 sheet then I almost have 200 pages! (Dances happily with a bemused FicNaruto and FicSasuke).

I will explain my absence at the end of this chapter so that people who don't really care don't have to read anything much before reading the fic.

* * *

Dedicated to TwlightDreamz

Chapter Sixteen: _Merrily on High_

Naruto sucked on his last square of chocolate and typed his last sentence to his last essay before saving, printing, and then collapsing off his chair onto the floor with a satisfied sigh. He looked at his watch: 4:30pm. He still had time to watch some much missed afternoon TV, binge on cereal and biscuits and then head off to their last gig before they broke up for Christmas.

He sprang to his feet, pranced into the hallway like a show pony and stuck his nose around Sakura's door. She sat at her desk, scribbling furiously away, her hair in a very untidy bun and her eyes glazed behind extremely unflattering glasses. She claimed that her eyes got strained when she wrote for too long and couldn't afford a decent pair and so had got hers from an opticians freebee bucket. Nonetheless, Naruto still ripped her for them.

She looked up when his blonde mop peeked over the edge of the door.

"What?"

"Nearly done?" He asked, his grin a little too smug to be even considered considerate.

"No." She mumbled.

He pointed a finger at her, laughed, proclaimed his genius and then waltzed out. Sakura smacked her head on the desk repeatedly and wailed. Naruto could be heard cackling on his way down the staircase.

He ran into Sasuke in the kitchen, or more accurately pounced on him and spun him around in his demented dance.

"Don't tell me. You've cracked under the pressure?" Sasuke said coolly as Naruto wrapped his arms around his neck and rubbed his head against his chin like a drugged kitten.

"No. No. Non!" Naruto pulled away and bounced from one foot to the other, "Guess what!" He beamed and didn't wait for Sasuke to reply, "I finished all my papers!"

"About time." Sasuke retorted and then softened when Naruto looked forlorn, "Fine. I'll take you out tomorrow to celebrate… Guilt-tripper."

Naruto hugged him tightly again and then quickly started pulling snacks out of the cupboards and bundling them in his arms, "If I hurry I won't miss the beginning of the _Dynasty_ omnibus!" He cried and scurried into the living room.

"How are you not gay?" Sasuke called after him.

* * *

It wasn't until they entered the bar that night that Naruto realised how close it really was to Christmas. The place was looking particularly festive with tinsel adorning the walls and the bar itself and a handsome miniature tree perched on the bar worktop nearest the door. The landlord was looking uncharacteristically festive in a Santa hat when he greeted them, the usual cigarette hanging from his lips giving him the appearance of a modern, hardcore, missionary St. Nick, black bearded and war-scarred. Tales of the Christmases he would bring children all over the world began to spin webs in Naruto's mind. He must have been staring because the person that occupied his thoughts gave him an odd look and hissed something to Shikamaru that Naruto was sure wasn't entirely P.C., or Socially Aware or whatever it was these days. 

After the ritual few drinks and denigration of the previous band, the four of them were ready to perform their last gig of that year. People began to settle at tables and on the floor to watch them as they set up the microphones and instruments; their fan base was definitely growing. Naruto began to feel the pangs of nervousness that he felt every time they set up, but this time they were marginally worse. The crowd was bigger than usual, and, as it was their last gig, they obviously expected a good show. The band intended to give them one. They had thus far stuck with the old temporary name of "Anon" because, despite many ideas (mostly from Kiba involving some sort of sexual innuendo), nothing had seemed to work. It wasn't until Naruto was shuffling through his old playlists and came across a song that he hadn't listened to since the last years' exam time that inspiration struck. And stuck. He played it over and over, reminding himself of the fighting mood it put him in during his revision period. When he couldn't get the idea off his mind he knew he should approach the others with the name it had motivated.

When Sasuke introduced them that night with the new name it felt right. It fit. The crowd didn't argue: they applauded. _We have the name. Now we're a band_, Naruto mused, smug with the thought that he'd come up with it, _Now we're going somewhere._

"So for our last gig of the year, we're Fighting Dreamers and we hope you enjoy the show." Sasuke finished as they slipped into the intro of their first song of the night.

Shikamaru had worked them into the ground for the past week and they played with a smoothness that could only be achieved through rigorous practice. Before he realised it, Naruto was playing the chords to the introduction of their last song, a rock version of "Last Christmas" that they had been working on especially for that gig. They all put their hearts into it and thrashed instrumental solos until the crowd cheered and danced, the season, the song and the excitement lighting their faces with enthusiastic grins and glowing cheeks. As the song finished and Sasuke wished everyone a "Merry Christmas" the applause reached the loudest volume they had ever received. Naruto was buzzing so much he didn't notice Kiba jump on his back until he almost stumbled off the stage and the only thing that stopped him doing so was the arm that snaked around his waist and pushed him back. Naruto beamed into Sasuke's shining eyes and awkwardly gave him a friendly hug as Kiba slid off his back and accosted Shikamaru. Sasuke sneakily bit his ear and growled throatily before pulling away and packing up his guitar. Naruto hoped that his blush would be mistaken for a flush of exhilaration before he hastily turned his back on the audience to unplug the amp and to both hide and ignore the part of his anatomy that had most definitely noted the sexiness of Sasuke's growl.

* * *

The rest of the night was spent in the lounge of Shikamaru's three-bedroom flat, drinking beer, watching censored porn on TV and playing card games with the usual gang plus Shikamaru's housemates: Chouji and Shino. Naruto had a good time but couldn't help feeling vaguely disappointed that the time he spent with Sasuke was also in the company of others. He began to wonder if he would ever have him to himself before they went their separate ways at the start of the Christmas break. Which, he realised with a sickening jolt to the stomach was only a week away. They had all gotten pretty close in the past few weeks. Naruto had never had friends as precious as them. He supposed it was because they all lived in such close quarters. However, part of him told him that there was something more real to their friendship than the ones he had had during his school years. After all, he no longer kept in contact with any of them. Except Konohamaru: a boy two years below himself, who seemed more to worship him than actually like him.

He would miss them all during the break as they celebrated at home with their families, but there was no doubt that he would miss Sasuke most of all. Naruto squashed the thought of Christmas to the back of his mind and told himself to have a good time and appreciate the time he had with the others as much as he did with Sasuke.

All the same, he felt at ease cuddling up to the raven-haired boy on the sofa in front of the others, it was the first opportunity they had had to really flaunt their relationship and Naruto was not going to waste it. He was surprised at how little the group reacted to his obvious displays of affection. Even the stranger, Shino, did not seem perturbed, although, as Naruto soon noticed, the boy didn't seem to show an expression of any kind the whole night. He was an excellent poker player.

It was only when Naruto decided to push the limits a little later into the night and a number of bottles of beer had been consumed all round that any comment was made on the cosiness of the pair. He had decided to instigate a thorough make-out session on the sofa while the others channel surfed and argued about programs to watch. It was, surprisingly, Shikamaru that had lazily prodded Naruto and told them to cut it out.

"PDA." He warned, "If I don't do that with Ino then neither do you two."

Naruto grinned, "That's ok then, Ino's not really my type."

Shikamaru raised a passive eyebrow and returned to playing host. Naruto lay against Sasuke's chest and sighed, not unhappily but with conciliation. Sasuke blew his blonde tufts out of his face and played the fingers of Naruto's hand with his own.

"You ok?" He asked without concern but with warmth.

"Yeah." Naruto replied, suddenly feeling inexplicably tired, "I'll miss…"

* * *

The next morning's lecture seemed to drag on for eternity. While Sasuke scribbled notes furiously, Naruto doodled cartoons of himself killing and torturing Kakashi in various ways. He was embellishing a particularly graphic drawing, in which he beheaded the silver-haired lecturer with a katana, and scraping his red pen into his pad quite violently when Sasuke paused in his writing and looked about to say something before he noticed the bloody sketches. Naruto grinned and flipped the notepad over. Sasuke gave him a disapproving look before returning to his notes, apparently forgetting what he was about to say. 

The lecture ended half an hour later when Naruto was practically twitching with tedium and writing the word, "bored" over and over again until Sasuke confiscated his pen soundlessly. What irritated him even more was that, even when everyone else had left and Naruto prodded him repeatedly in the back, Sasuke still deemed it acceptable to speak with Kakashi. Another ten minutes went by as the two lectured/argued in Japanese. Naruto recognised a few phrases with his limited knowledge of the language, mostly memorised as a child when his grandparents would visit. He feigned ignorance at their conversation, which seemed mostly to be about money, work, and a subject that Naruto was unfamiliar with but seemed to incense Sasuke. The word "aniki" was venomous on his tongue. Naruto disguised his piqued interest with a permanently confused expression and a fascination with his fingernails. It took a few significant glances in his direction coinciding with the word "baka" before he lost his temper and jumped off the front desk that he had been perched on to approach Sasuke and cast him a meaningful glare, not caring if he seemed rude. Kakashi merely raised his eyebrows at Sasuke and then turned to Naruto.

"I commend you on your truthfulness, Naruto. Iruka was relieved at how you handled the news about us. He wishes us to get along. _I_ myself am also pleased that you managed to hand your work in on time for once, however, listening in class would make _'Ru's_ wishes far easier to achieve."

Naruto raised his own eyebrows at his lecturer in disdain, "Is that so? I'll listen to you when you turn up on time." Nonetheless he was pleased that the lecturer had started calling him by his first name rather than the indifferent, "Uzumaki."

Sasuke gave a dry snort of amusement and raised a hand slightly in a gesture of farewell, "Ja ne, Kakashi. Daijoubu."

Kakashi sighed, "Hai… hai. Ja ne." He turned back to his desk as the two exited the hall.

* * *

The sky was a darkening grey when Naruto returned home after a late lunch with Iruka that afternoon. He had hurried home for two reasons, firstly to avoid the rain that threatened to pour from the sinister clouds, and secondly to remind a certain someone of a certain engagement he had promised. 

He kicked off his shoes, swung his bag over the end of the banister and threw his coat over a cluster of others on the pegs, not bothering to pick it up off the floor where it slid a moment later. Another moment later and he had leapt up the stairs, two at a time, flung himself into Sasuke's room and pinned the figure stretched out on the bed. Sasuke lowered the book he had been reading and met Naruto's excited azure-blue eyes above him.

"Can I help?"

Naruto grinned a wide, white grin and bounced him against the mattress, "Tonight! You promised?"

"Promised what exactly?"

"Sa-asuke!" Naruto whined to the ceiling, sitting back on his knees, "Don't tell me you forgot!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and stayed silent. Naruto hit him in the chest, "You're teasing me!"

The Japanese boy smiled, "Sussed. I made reservations yesterday."

"Ooh! Reservations! Very swish and sofis'!" Naruto squealed, pressing his palms against Sasuke's collarbone.

"What were you expecting? Burger King? You have to make reservations at most restaurants this time of year." Sasuke said, returning to his book, "We're leaving at seven."

"You're priddy." Naruto cooed.

"Go get ready." Sasuke said into the printed paper.

"Wait!"

Sasuke sighed and lowered the book again, "What is it-"

Naruto leant in to steal the end of the sentence and place a long but gentle kiss on his question. He then swung himself off the bed and exited the room looking very pleased with himself. Sasuke didn't return to his book for a few minutes.

* * *

Naruto could barely hide his nervous excitement when they stepped out of the taxi onto the pavement outside the restaurant that had been so carefully selected. It was difficult to look natural next to the casually elegant Uchiha Sasuke, who spread his long fingers out in front of him in a vague stretch as he exited the vehicle. Naruto looked over at the glass panelled exterior and grinned. 

"Nice choice." He nodded approvingly at his dining partner. Sasuke pressed his lips together in a thin smile.

"I wasn't sure how experienced you were with your culinary heritage."

"Not very," Naruto replied reading the name of the restaurant off the sign above the door, " '_I-chi-ra-ku_' – I only had what my grandparents made when I was small and occasionally my father's own dishes. Neither were amazing chefs but there was something I would always request… not that I can remember what it was now…"

Sasuke met and held his gaze for a few moments before smiling softly and ushering him inside where he enquired about the reservation. They were lead to a small table by a pretty and efficient Japanese woman who introduced herself as Ayame and told them that she would be serving them and "not to hesitate to ask when needing help". Sasuke smirked.

"Arigato, demo… ore wa Nihonjin da." He informed curtly, picking up the menu as he spoke.

"Aa! Hontou desu yo! Sumimasen!" The woman bowed apologetically and hurried away. Naruto frowned.

"You didn't have to be so rude." He muttered.

"I wasn't." Sasuke answered, flipping over a laminated page, "But do I look like a gai-… Western to you?"

Naruto's frown deepened, "Well, in any case, you don't need to get so worked up. This is a celebration! Not a business meeting!"

"Sou ka." Sasuke muttered and then raised his eyes over the menu to take in Naruto's concern, he leaned forward and allowed himself a half-smile "Besides, how do you know I was being rude?"

Naruto schooled his smile into a grimace and picked up his own menu, "Your tone of voice."

Sasuke gazed at him for a moment before returning to his perusing, "Liar."

Naruto chose to ignore the accusation.

There were a few moments of silence as the two perused the menu.

"I remembered!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed.

Sasuke placed his menu carefully on the table and leant his forearms across it, "What did you remember?" He asked with a placid smirk as he met Naruto's eyes.

"Ramen!"

"Ramen?"

"Miso ramen!" He signalled for the waitress, "Oni-chan!"

* * *

**(please see note at bottom)**

A blue-grey light was beginning to seep beneath the drawn curtains giving the fingers wrapped around Naruto's own a pearlescent quality. His breathing was starting to slow back to its natural rhythm and a pleasant sense of well-being spread through every fibre of his body. Sasuke sighed and brushed back Naruto's damp fringe, delighting in the drunk-dark pools of mostly black that were his lover's heavy lidded eyes.

"You're beautiful." He breathed, brushing his lips against the faint scar-like lines on Naruto's cheeks. Naruto laughed tiredly.

"I think that's the first time you've complimented me." He said wryly.

"Most probably. That's the luxury of dating boys, they're not always screaming for compliments."

"That's a vast generalisation." Naruto grinned as Sasuke sucked gently on his neck.

"Fine, that's the luxury of dating you." Came his muffled reply.

"We don't date."

Sasuke withdrew and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? So what do we do?"

Naruto's grin widened and he shrugged. Sasuke watched him for a moment, a vague smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"You love me, don't you?" Naruto stated more than asked.

In the grey light Naruto was uncertain as to whether Sasuke's smile remained, his own smile faltered as the brief moment of silence seemed to stretch on. Relief washed over him as he was kissed softly and then encircled by a pair of warm arms and brought up to an equally warm chest as Sasuke lay beside him. They breathed quietly together in the growing daylight.

"It's the end of term in two days." Naruto murmured.

"I know."

"I won't see you for four weeks."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you'll be going home…"

"Will I?"

Naruto tilted his head to meet the ebony eyes of the boy that smirked slightly back at him.

"Don't mess with me, I'm tired and easily confused."

"Yes, you are quite stupid really."

Naruto attempted to free an arm to hit him with but failed miserably and so bit him instead, "Bastard."

Sasuke snickered, "Our guardians don't seem to want us around this year."

Naruto blinked and then whined as various mental images filtered into his brain, "Ahh! My mind is soiled!"

"You don't seem to be getting the point here." Sasuke interrupted his wailings with a hint of irritation.

"Hoh?" Naruto brightened.

"Moron." Sasuke muttered under his breath, "You. And. I. Are. Alone. For. Christmas."

"Whuh… YOU'RE KIDDING!" Naruto cried in disbelief.

The sound of a door slamming across the hall and heavy footsteps approaching caused them both to freeze. The door was flung open. A banshee-like creature with wild pink hair and blazing eyes stood before them, drew a hissing breath and screamed:

"IT'S 4.30 IN THE MORNING!"

All was deadly silent.

"Good morning, Sakura." Naruto beamed.

* * *

AN: Chan chan chan. I REALLY WANNA PUT CHAN! For those who were wondering, yes, there is room for a bit of lemon at the beginning of that last break in text. Please scroll to the bottom for the answer. For those who don't care please continue. 

Now onto real stuffu. I haven't posted for so long no.1: because I hadn't written anything sinceJune of this year and no.2: because I've been hospitalised. SHOCK HORROR! I'm not going to go into details because I'm sure no one cares and I'm not one for giving people the sob-story (unless its in fic-form). Just thought I'd explain myself. I somehow managed to pull myself out of the warren of the plot bunnies and actually finish the chapter thats been lingering over my conscience for a good half year now. Now I'm all pepped up and raring to go... as soon as I get some free time!

Review replies:

To **EVERYONE: MERRY CHRISTMAS!** Thank you for all your lovely and inspiring reviews. If it weren't for your encouragement I probably would have given up on this fic months ago. I hope you all have the Christmas day you deserve, or to those that don't celebrate Christmas: Have a wonderful mid-winter/new year/whatever you decide to celebrate. **Please scroll to the bottom if you can't be bothered to read review replies!**

ineXpressible: The Papa, the Papa! Tradition!XD! Thanks for the review! (Iruka kisses you on the cheek deftly)

EVEILAE: (Iruka kisses you on the cheek for giving him the pity he deserves) Poor 'Ru. 3! Thanking you kindly.

NekoAnime: Haha! Wondering if Itachi will be in this fic, ey? XD! MWAHAHAHA! Well, hang in there and you'll find out one day. (strokes an unamusedpakkun villainously). Thank you for all you comments! I don't mind when people go off on a tangent. It makes me want to open up a forum. Ooh! That's an idea... (Iruka offers you a sweet christmas kiss)

CooShyRee: Awesome! I downloaded a filler episode the other day for the hell of it and to see the new opening and ending. I really wish I hadn't... Thanks for the review! (Iruka is unsure whether to offer a kiss or a handshake... he settles with a giant glomp)

FluffyDolphin: Stop hogging Iruka! You get plenty of kisses!Love you! Hope you're having a wonderful Japanese Christmas! (Iruka kisses both cheeks but not the lips... that's PDA and it wasn't in the contract)

Jana: HAHA! You know, I'd forgotten about Gai... BAD MOTEMOTE! BAD! But yes... there is definitely room for him. Hope you're fully recovered from your fever. Ilove Kakashi... Can you keep a secret? He's actually my favourite character... SHH! Don't tell Naruto and Sasuke!Thanks for the review! (Iruka kisses you on the cheek like a good little sensei)

Trio Wing: Hohoho! (Iruka kisses you on the cheek just as Kakashi enters the room. Kakashi: OAO! Iruka: . Mote2: Chaos ensues...) Thanks for the review as usual!

Ritina: (A faint whooping is heard in the distance before a distinct weight and slight odor of dog surround you. Yes. You have been glomped by Kiba, who, I might add, is in a very festive mood and brandishes mistletoe. Iruka kisses you on the cheek after you have cleaned up Akamaru's own doggy kisses) Thanks for the review!

Seph Lorraine: XD! (Iruka kisses your cheek and gives you an A for your use of proper English grammer) Thanks for the review!

Daitai Otonashii Ookami/GaaraBelongsToMe: I'm still waiting on that email! 3! Now you know which one I chose! Are you pleased? My explanation for it sucked but what the hell. Thanks for the review as usual! (Iruka kisses you on the cheek)

moonshine and mustard seed: Thank you for a very encouraging review:):):):)! Thank you thank you thank you! (Iruka kisses you on the cheek and bows)

ChibiNoi: Thank you? XD! I do my best tokeep the spelling mistakes down to a minimum. I guess my sentence structures are bit odd sometimes. I think it's from reading too much prose/classic English literature. (Iruka kisses you on the cheek) Thanks for the constructive critisism.

TwlightDreamz: You must've noticed the dedication. Your review really inspired me to finally finish this chapter and get it out in time for Christmas. It's not much of a present but it's something I shouldn't deny anyone who asks for it. That would just be pure selfishness on my part. Kinda funny how this chap is a Christmassy one. I assure you it wasn't intentional! I'm not very eloquent when it comes to expressing anything vaguely close to a real emotion, so: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you very much! (Iruka kisses you on both cheeks)

whistles: Thank you for the uber long review! Sorry if my sentences are a bit confusing sometimes! X3!I couldn't make Sakura into the uber bitch. I just couldn't do it. There's only one evil person in this fic... and they haven't appeared yet:DDD! (Iruka kisses you on this cheek and bows)

Lena: LOL! I know how that feels... (Kakashi: OO... Maa...) Feel free to stalk him all you like! (Iruka shoves a cowering 'Kashi-kun out of the way and kisses you on the cheek) Thanks for the review!

**FINALLY DONE! THAT HAS TAKEN ME AN HOUR!** One last thing:

**:ATTENTION ALL LEMON FANS: **

**This is where a lemon should be. Due to the rules on this lovely site the lemon for this chapter has been posted on livejournal. I will make a link to it in my author section thingy. The wait has been long I know. Sorry!**

motemote out


	17. Shadowman

AN: Hey, kiddies. Long time no see. This has been a long time in production. It's only little but I hope it doesn't disappoint. Oh, and don't fret: I have written a yummy little sex scene for the previous chapter but have yet to find anywhere to post it (we know what "this business" is like), any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As soon as I have found somewhere I will give you a link in the appropriate place in chapter sixteen. If you don't hear from me again for a while, have a fabulous Christmas, Easter, and, no doubt, life. :P Good afternoon, good evening and gazoontite.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: _Shadowman_

A dull throbbing, brilliant white walls, green curtains and the distinct smell of disinfectant failing to cover the stench of illness. He fixed his bleary eyes on the same corkboard ceiling-tile as he did every morning of every day he had spent there and tried to drown out the steady "thu-wump, thu-wump" of his heart in his head by listening to the equally steady bleep of the machine beside his bed.

There were no cards on the table by his pillow, just a glass of water and a small empty paper cup that had once held a pair of little pink pills. There was no sadness, just an all-encompassing feeling of hollowness: An oxymoron that he played around with on his swollen tongue to fill the time between waking and realising. Realising was never any fun.

First there was the sudden stab of pain. He reached up to touch his bandaged shoulder and felt the tube in his hand pull, filling with blood, his own blood, not the blood in the bag hanging above him. He winced, the facial movement cracking the healing wound in his hairline: the third stab of pain. It was always the third that made him realise. He cried out in anguish and let his hair and pillow wet with the irrepressible tears that formed. Tears wholly justified.

His daily routine.

But there was something different about that day, something that caused him to repeat the nightmare over and over again- a memory he would never escape from.

A hand took his firmly. A nurse no doubt. Through pinched eyelids he could not see. He wrenched his hand away from the cold grip.

"Chigau! Ore wa-!" He began to growl.

"Baka ototo."

He opened his stinging eyes to the familiar voice, "Iie."

A pair of eyes, not dissimilar to his own, stared coldly down at him. There was a sickening breath of silence that lingered in the ill air like the sweep of empty space stirred by the rush of a single passing car on an empty road. The perversion of a broken silence filled by one even heavier.

He shook, "Iie."

And then he screamed.

* * *

Naruto wrapped his arms around himself, entwining his sweater around his hand as the cold breeze flew in through the open door and grinned with chattering teeth as the person on the doorstep smiled wanly back in mid-sentence. 

"-So, remember: Band practice on the Friday of the first week back. It's a bugger to be going back this soon but parents will be parents. Hope you all have a good Christmas et al!" Shikamaru said, stepping back off the stoop.

"Sure thing. You too." Naruto replied.

"Don't choke on a turkey bone and die! You're our only talent!" howled Kiba jovially.

"Merry Christmas!" Sakura waved as Ino sniffed and stepped out across the threshold in her dressing gown and fluffy slippers to give him a goodbye kiss. Shikamaru's father hollered from the car that was sitting on the curb outside the house.

"Hang on!" Shikamaru hollered back and took something out of his coat pocket and pressed it into Ino's hand before murmuring something to her that the group inside the house failed to hear, despite trying. She gave him a peck on the cheek before he turned down the steps to his parents' car. The troupe waved frantically as the car drove off down the street, closed the door on the bitter weather as it turned out of sight, and returned inside to the comforting warmth and the prospect of a cup of coffee.

As Naruto turned about he collided into something large, soft and downy. After he had collected himself and the object in front of him became something recognisable his immediate reaction was simply, "Oh."

Sasuke wrinkled his nose, "What a pleasant greeting. I almost feel like I existed for a moment."

Naruto ignored his comment as he gave him the once over, "You look ill." He stated.

Sasuke shrugged but he knew that in all truthfulness he looked a little like a reanimated corpse in a bathrobe.

"Woah, Sassy! I didn't think you could be more pale but you've successfully proved me wrong!" Kiba cried as he passed them on his way back from the kitchen. Sasuke glared.

"Are you sure you're feeling ok?" Naruto took his hand in both of his own and pressed it between them as if to push some life into their sickly pallor.

"I'm fine." He replied tetchily and withdrew his hand swiftly from Naruto's grasp. A look of disappointment and confusion flickered momentarily in the pair of blue eyes that he adored so he pulled the blonde in towards him and swathed him playfully in the robe, "Don't be so wet. I feel as right as rain, whatever that stupid English phrase is supposed to mean."

"I'm sure you can think of equally stupid Japanese ones." Came Naruto's muffled but distinctly defensive reply.

"I don't deny it." Sasuke smiled at the blonde tuft of hair that was all that was visible of Naruto's upper body and tied the cord around them both, "View the world through the hole of a bamboo."

"See. Just as ridiculous. Now get dressed. We're going out."

Sasuke pulled the cord tighter, trapping Naruto, "But I don't want to." Sasuke replied petulantly as Naruto struggled fruitlessly, "I want to go back to bed. And I want you to- Ow!"

Naruto freed himself during the distraction and hid behind the banister grinning.

"You bit me!" Sasuke inspected his chest.

"Sure did." Naruto replied and fled down the hall when Sasuke made a lunge for him, "Go have a shower! You stink!" He called from the kitchen.

* * *

He stood at the window watching through the sheets of rains that blurred the speeding orange and red of the motorway outside and touched the windowpane, letting condensation form around his fingers. A door banged out in the hallway and laughing voices carried through into his apartment. The muscles in his neck twitched and he raised a hand to stop them, his other hand reaching for the glass of wine on the counter-top. The glass slipped through his shaking fingers, fell to the floor, and smashed into a hundred tiny pieces, the red wine glistening on the sparkling shards like spilt blood. He crouched down to inspect them further and pressed his trembling hand into the debris, shuddering with pleasure at the sharp twang of pain. He removed his hand and observed the almost-black globules of real blood merge with the semi-transparent purple spill of wine. 

The phone rang. It was that time again. He let it ring off, knowing it would only ring again a moment later. He clenched his red-stained fist, gasping as the smallest shards imbedded themselves further into his palm. The phone rang again. He picked up the receiver and let it hang off the hook, swinging gently, clicking against the clean white wall. He picked up his coat that lay draped over the back of the sofa, shrugged it on and left the apartment.

He made his way up the stairs at the end of the corridor, down the next corridor then up the next flight of stairs, then again and again until he reached the roof of the building, shoved the fire door open and stepped out into the pouring rain as the door slammed against the wall and was whipped shut again by a blast of wind. He made his way to the edge of the roof and leant over the balustrade, the cars below silent in the howl of the downpour. His hair stuck to his face and neck, instantly drenched.

As he brought his hips above the ledge and his first foot knocked the wall a thought came into his head.

"If you're coming down to rescue me, now would be perfect."

* * *

"You've got the weird look on your face again." Naruto frowned, swapping the heavier bag from one hand to the other. 

"Have I?" Sasuke replied absentmindedly.

"What are you thinking about?"

The raven-haired boy paused to consider the question, his tongue sucking one side of his teeth, "You." He answered.

Naruto scowled, "Liar."

"I never lie."

"HUGE liar!" The blonde laughed. They carried on down the street for a few more moments in silence, "Have you got Kakashi anything yet?"

"He's already got all he needs for Christmas."

Naruto smiled, "Have you?"

"You're revoltingly self-absorbed. I hope you weren't expecting me to burst into song?"

"You mean along the lines of: All I want for-!"

"Don't even start!"

"I love you."

"I know."

* * *

"Does it feel anticlimactic?" 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, finally…"

"Oh no, there was definitely a climax."

Naruto lightly punched Sasuke's naked chest, "Answer the question!"

"No. It doesn't." Sasuke cupped Naruto's face and smouldered, "If that was the case would I have wanted a repeat performance?"

Naruto grinned and kissed his lover deftly, "You don't look as ill. In fact you're quite pink."

"That'll be the exercise."

"Pinku, pinku! Kawaii Sasuke-chan!" Naruto cried happily.

Sasuke groaned, "Now you've ruined the moment. Get out of my bed!"

"Aw, how can I make it up to you?" Naruto feigned sincerity and ran his hand down Sasuke's stomach with a feather-like touch. Sasuke held his breath and bit his tongue as the blonde reached down below his hips, "Now, don't play the silent stooge, that's nowhere near as fun! Besides…" Naruto arranged himself above the wincing Uchiha and kissed him hard, freeing his tongue from his teeth and pulling the misty-eyed boy into a sitting position as he himself straddled his waist, removed his groping hand and lowered his weight down onto Sasuke, biting his other's lip at the sudden pain that he was already getting used to. Both gasped at the air for a moment of stillness, "… It's my bed."

* * *

Naruto carefully arranged his gifts on the desk and gazed at them happily. There was a box of orange plectrums from Ino, the latest Asian Kung Fu Generation CD from Sakura, guitar strings from Shikamaru (via Ino), and a black t-shirt from Kiba reading simply: "Sex?" He grinned to himself and pulled off his sweater to pull on said t-shirt before Sasuke returned from his shower. Sitting back on his chair he regarded his presents thoughtfully and recalled the evening they had all shared. 

It had hailed. The small frozen bullets of ice hammered against the panes of the lounge windows pleasantly.

"Typical! Is a little bit of nice, soft snow too much to ask?" Sakura had whined as she sat on the floor with a mug of homemade eggnog in her hands.

"Did you actually ask for it?" Naruto ventured to question.

"Ask and ye shall receive." Sasuke added.

"For someone who has only lived in the country for a few years you're very culturally aware." Sakura said and smiled sweetly, obviously trying to draw the subject away from the weather.

"I read." Sasuke said bluntly.

"What are you insinuating?" Sakura asked tartly, Sasuke looked blankly at her. She turned to Ino, "What is he insinuating?"

Ino had batted the comment away over the rim of her mug and started when Akamaru lifted his head from his paws and yapped at the door. Kiba entered moments later.

"Found it!" He grinned at the room, "My trunk is now packed tight! Any 'nog left?"

"In the kitchen! Hurry up! I want pressies!" Sakura squealed.

"Why didn't we do Secret-Santa? I'm broke now…" Naruto sniffed pitiably.

Ino placed a finger to her lips with a sardonic frown, "Hmm… It can't be because a certain stupid blonde boy complained loudly about the chances of his not being Santa to his certain black-haired boyfriend. Could it?"

Naruto had pretended to ignore the jab and the mood quickly changed to anticipation when they passed out the presents.

It wasn't even until 10:30 before Kiba had to leave for home. Naruto remembered feeling mixed reactions to this. Although he had been sad to see his friend off, part of him felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of having the house to himself with Sasuke. Sakura and Ino were leaving in two days together on the same train as they "lived in the same hovel of a town" and had "hated one another since childhood when Ino was the pretty one and Sakura was top of their class" ("How things change", Kiba had interjected, "Now you're both ugly and stupid.") or so they had put it earlier on in the evening. This had led to many discussions on childhood days and the ins and outs of fashions through the two decades of their lives. Sasuke had stayed silent for most of the conversation until he was harrassed by the rest of the house to share some of his stories from his Japanese upbringing. Stories that Kiba dubbed "The Memoirs of a Gay-chiha", much to Sasuke's disapproval and everyone else's hilarity. Naruto cracked up just thinking about it. Sasuke's "memoirs" had been pretty interesting though. Hearing him talk so freely about his past had soothed Naruto deeply. It was strange how every story had seemed familiar to him even though he was certain he had never heard them before. It felt like a reassurance that he was doing the right thing being with Sasuke. Despite never questioning his immediate connection to the mysterious boy he suddenly felt a great sense of relief. Suddenly everything felt right. A wave of ecstasy ran through Naruto's body, _must be that Christmas feeling everyone always talks about._

Warm arms wrapped around his shoulders, he hadn't even noticed that Sasuke had entered the room. Warm water trickled down his neck.

"Your hair is dripping on me." He stated and kissed Sasuke's chin.

"I have a gift for you."

"Are you going to whip that towel off and sing the Full Monty song?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "No… not yet," Naruto swivelled round in his chair to look at him expectantly, "Although that t-shirt demands to be obeyed."

Naruto grinned, "All in good time. Goodies ple-eease!"

"Ok. Well, I'm only giving you this one now because it didn't cost me much."

"Cheap-ass."

"Wise-ass." Sasuke retorted and produced a familiar looking object from behind his back. Naruto took it in his hands. A slow smile spread across his features and tears welled in his eyes. He stroked the familiar curvatures of the delicate figurine his grandparents had given him that birthday before his whole world was turned upside down. There hadn't been a real Christmas since then. The little ivory fox looked at him bravely, it's tail firmly attached.

"Thank you." He whispered, "Thanks for fixing me."


	18. Pigs in Blankets

AN: I live. This has been 90% finished for two years. The last 10% was agony. I wash my hands of it.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: _Pigs in Blankets_

The sky above was a dirty white and the air held a frozen stillness that promised snow. _A day late_, Naruto mused, _as always._

"Why is it called Boxing Day?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them as they trudged over the frozen hillock, their boots cracking the grass underfoot. Naruto was taken aback and stopped suddenly, almost slipping back down the slope.

"Did you just ask me a question about general knowledge?" He asked, grinning in disbelief and catching Sasuke's arm to steady himself.

"I never claimed to know everything." Sasuke replied bitterly. Naruto reflected that his tone often imitated the weather on days like this. They continued their ascent before Naruto answered, his breath swirling out as he lifted his chin from the protection of his scarf.

"I heard it was something to do with bosses giving boxes of presents like food to employees because you didn't see them on Christmas day. I'm not sure… you'd have to ask Iruka."

Sasuke didn't answer but Naruto took care to note that his expression looked thoughtful rather than begrudging. They suddenly reached the top of the hill and surveyed the scene beneath their toes. The twinkling lights of the city greeted them from below and in the distance they could see the coastline stretching along the horizon in a misty grey trail. Naruto instinctively reached for his lover's gloved hand. An unnerving and inexplicable pang of fierce desperation accompanied this action, like time was running out and any moment now the sky would turn black and the burning stars would die and fall at their feet like lumps of coal. But the feeling was quickly forgotten when Sasuke's obsidian eyes turned to meet his own. Naruto upturned his face and their cool lips brushed. The promised snow began to fall.

"What was it again?" Naruto asked, smiling serenely.

"Hm?"

"Kimi ga…?"

"Aishiteru."

* * *

Christmas day began the way Naruto always felt it should: having had very little sleep, being very excited, and by jumping up and down on the bed of a sleeping loved one screaming, "IT'S CHRISTMAS! WAKE UP!" After this it was appropriate that the CD player be turned on at full volume to the sound of sleigh bells and the lyrics, "When the snowman brings the snow". Following this, Naruto instructed, bacon rashers must be thrown into a sizzling pan, spitting fat and smelling like hunger itself. Sasuke contented himself with the cooking while Naruto forced a Santa hat on his head and sang along loudly, turning on the faerie lights as he danced around in gorilla-feet slippers, sliding across the kitchen floor precariously.

After breakfast they snuggled up on the sofa with a duvet and watched "The Snowman", a new experience for Sasuke who demanded that they then watch "My Neighbor Totoro" as compensation. During this they consumed large amounts of chocolate and felt sick until they sucked on explosively juicy Satsuma segments to refresh themselves.

"My fingers are sticky." Naruto announced when the credits rolled.

Sasuke turned his head slowly to look at him, dragging his eyes away from the scrolling text. Meeting Naruto's eyes a small smirk graced his lips and he reached out to pull the fingers Naruto was holding tentatively away from any surface into his mouth: One by one, gently sucking the sweet citric flavour away. Naruto watched him with a lazy smile.

"What would I do without you?"

Sasuke shrugged and released the clean hand, "Have sticky fingers?"

Naruto sighed with mock exasperation and then adopted a devilish grin, "You _are_ handy to have around."

"Oh no." Sasuke grimaced.

"Yup. I could say you're my… wait for it… _hand-_yman!"

Sasuke groaned and bundled Naruto up in the duvet, wrapping it around his head and muffling the loud complaints. He straddled the mound of writhing bedding and pinned it down. It eventually stopped moving and Sasuke pulled the cocoon from Naruto's lightly flushed face. The blond pouted up at him, his hair fluffed up manically.

"Old men make puns." Sasuke stated.

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but was brought up short by a Satsuma in the mouth. Sasuke released him and stood up to stretch, revealing a tantalizing rectangle of pale stomach.

"Fancy a bath?" He yawned, scratching his jawline. Naruto, still gagged, nodded enthusiastically. Sasuke gazed at him with amused eyes and then nodded once in return, "Good. Because it's almost midday and we're still in bedclothes. Go run the water while I sort something out."

Naruto promptly spat out the Satsuma, threw off the duvet and scampered up the stairs to the bathroom. As water gushed from the taps he watched his reflection in their shiny, chrome surface bob and distort in a way that made him chuckle without inhibition. He threw in copious amounts of bubble-bath and as it frothed and rose contemplated that it would be the closest thing to snow that he would see that day. He had just turned off the taps and thrown off his t-shirt when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Thinking fast he reached into the bubbles and pulled out an armful that he plastered to his chin before heading out into the hallway to greet Sasuke with a hearty, "Meee-rry Christmas!"

Sasuke raised an appraising eyebrow at his bare, honey-coloured torso, "I've been naughty this year, Santa."

Naruto blew the bubbles from his lips and sidled over to where Sasuke stood holding two mismatching mugs of hot mulled wine, "How naughty?" He asked in suggestive tones.

"Very, _very _naughty." Sasuke drawled.

Naruto leaned in close, barely an inch away from his lover's lips, bubbles dripping on Sasuke's bare toes. "Then I shall have to teach you a lesson." He growled and pressed their lips roughly together, delighting in the disgruntled cry as he raised his hands to wipe his makeshift beard over Sasuke's face.

"Trust you to ruin the moment." Sasuke groused, passing Naruto a mug and wiping his face on his shirt. Naruto cackled, already starting to remove the rest of his clothing as he sauntered back into the bathroom. Sasuke followed suit, noting the mountainous pile of bubbles floating in the bathtub and spilling hap-hazardously over the edge. Naruto dipped a cautious foot into the water before settling into one end, singing 'Carol of the Meows' and playing with the bubbles as he waited for Sasuke to finish undressing. The dark eyed boy gave him a cursory frown at his song choice as he stripped off his black sweatpants. Naruto appreciated the curvature of his backside before it disappeared into the bubbly depths. They sipped at the mulled wine contentedly.

As Naruto set his mug down on the bathroom floor Sasuke covertly wrapped his arms around his tan stomach and pulled him back between his legs, leaning the blond against his chest and holding him there, resting his chin on Naruto's head.

"So when do you want your other present?" He asked, ignoring Naruto's wriggling. Naruto fell still at the question.

"I hadn't thought about it." He relaxed into Sasuke's embrace as he pondered, "When do you want yours?" He felt the shrug.

"I told you not to bother. I would've preferred if you hadn't got me anything."

"Don't say that! I totally stressed out trying to think of something. What do you get the guy that has everything?" Naruto leant forward to dip his head into the water and wet his hair, "Anyway, I didn't spend anything on it so you can't moan at me for wasting money. You'd better appreciate it, biatch."

Sasuke snorted as he reached for the shampoo bottle, "If you had to apply your meager brain to it then how could I not?"

Naruto nudged his hip with his elbow, "Shut up. No insults on Christmas day."

"I didn't see that in the contract." Sasuke muttered, massaging the citric smelling shampoo into water-darkened blond hair.

"It's in the fine print. After: 'wearing the hideous jumpers that Granny knitted with love' and before: 'taking less than a minute to unwrap a present'.

Sasuke nodded firmly, playing the apt student perfectly while Naruto rinsed his hair in the bathwater. Naruto shifted back into the crook of his lovers arm to kiss the underside of his chin and then moved to get out of the bath. Sasuke took a swift hold of his wrist.

"Where are you going?" He asked gruffly.

"To get your present, asswipe." Naruto huffed, slipping out of the grasp easily and stepping out of the tub. He grabbed for the nearest towel and wrapped it around his waist.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "I thought today was insult-free."

"Whoops." Came the unconcerned reply from the hallway.

Naruto returned moments later with his acoustic guitar in hand. Sasuke watched him reproachfully as he leaned against the sink and slung the hippyish strap over his damp shoulders.

"You can wipe that look off your face right now. I put a lot of effort into this so you can just shut up and like it." Naruto grumbled, not meeting Sasuke's gaze as he dried out his fingers on his towel and pulled the plectrum from between the strings.

Sasuke shrugged, accompanied by a gentle splash with the movement, "I said nothing."

"Good. Keep it that way." He tested out a basic chord, the acoustics in the bathroom creating a pleasant echo. His fingers found the first chord and he cleared his throat quietly. Sasuke settled back and watched Naruto's face, recording the gentle furrow between his brows, the wet hair sticking to the back of his neck and forehead, and the set of his jaw, determined and serious.

The song started with soft high tones, plucked from the guitar with careful precision and degenerated into low chords, strummed smooth, staccato, smooth in a swaying rhythm. A clear chord rang out for a few beats and hung in the air like cobwebs until it was brushed away with Naruto's imperfect but wholesome voice. Sasuke closed his eyes.

"_Waiting… for a breath, warm upon my neck. A voice, tearing from my throat. Hands… heavy. And I keep thinking… I should be hungry… _

_Keeping… what you know, locked inside your chest. A voice, bleeding from your throat. Eyes… heavy. And I keep thinking… I should be hungry…_

_I should be hungry… I should be hungry… but somehow I am full."_

Slow, fast, slow single notes called out in the empty space as he repeated the phrase. A small instrumental solo followed. And then another extended chord of a deeper tone.

"_Full of you_."

With his sight focused on the frets of the guitar as the final note faded, Naruto heard the swooshing of the water and felt the hot, wet hands on either side of his face without seeing the burning eyes. His mouth at first and then his insides were enveloped with fire: Acute enough to be pain; absorbing enough to be sleep.

_I am being burned._ He thought happily.

* * *

The doorbell rang just after midday and Naruto answered it while Sasuke pretended to busy himself with tidying the lounge of chocolate wrappers and Satsuma skins. An unconvincing St. Nick with spiky silver hair and a fake beard greeted him with open arms and an equally unconvincing, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" Behind his shoulder an embarrassed looking, tanned, over-sized elf emerged and offered Naruto an apology. Naruto beamed.

"What are you doing here?!" He cried happily and embraced Iruka tightly.

"We come bearing gifts of turnips, turkey and potatoes!" Kakashi-Claus intoned in a prophetic voice, brandishing a sack presumably containing said items. Naruto eyed him warily until his unusually joyous lecturer squashed him into his pillow filled stomach and bellowed, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Naruto cried with suffocated laughter until he was rescued by a bemused looking Sasuke who took the sack from Kakashi and disappeared into the kitchen.

Naruto watched as his culinary superiors brought together the glorious Christmas roast dinner that spread itself across the dining table. A huge, golden turkey crowned the feast of Yorkshire puddings, mushy peas, roast potatoes, gallons of gravy, pigs in blankets, carrot and turnip, sprouts, broccoli, buttery new potatoes, honey-roasted Swede and then Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and Victoria trifle. The crackers were pulled, the paper hats were worn and the terrible jokes were told to raucous, mulled-wine fuelled laughter.

"Well, this is nice." Iruka sighed with contentment as he sat down in his chair opposite Naruto and next to Kakashi.

"Yes, mother dear." Naruto drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes and loading his plate with as much as he could reach.

Iruka's eyebrow twitched, "You're always cranky when you're hungry."

Sasuke nodded, "How true."

"This coming from Stress-out no.1 and Mr. Perpetual Gloom." Naruto pouted and indicated with his impaled bacon-wrapped sausage. Kakashi avoided meeting either pair of eyes that gazed at him for back up.

"Shut up and eat." Iruka and Sasuke advised in unison. Naruto didn't need telling twice. There were several minutes of silence broken only by the sound of cutlery on plates and the occasional appreciative murmur.

Iruka was the first to attempt conversation again, "Anyway, all I was saying was that we don't normally have more than the two of us at Christmas do we, Naruto? So it makes a nice change." He realized he'd failed miserably when there was an uncomfortable quiet.

"Wow, nice way to bring down the tone of the evening. Maybe _you_ should be Mr. Gloom." Naruto groaned.

"What? No! I meant…" Iruka flustered while Kakashi patted him on the back.

Sasuke stared at Naruto with an expression impossible to decipher.

Naruto caught his gaze, looked away and forced a laugh, "I know what you meant. And it is nice. Like a little family," He gestured at Iruka and Kakashi in turn and said, "Mum and Dad," and then at Sasuke, "And the incestuous brother."

Iruka looked appalled while Kakashi looked smug. He leaned in to Iruka and said in a stage whisper, "After dinner we should send these two to bed and enjoy some one-on-one time, little wife."

Naruto threw a Yorkshire pudding at his head and wailed something incoherent.

"I second that! Who're you calling little?" Iruka bristled.

Naruto wailed again and threw a roast potato, this time in Iruka's direction.

"Ah! Don't misinterpret me, you filthy-minded toerag!"

"Indeed. I certainly wasn't insinuating that you have a…" Kakashi couldn't finish his sentence as he was being bombarded with flying sprout missiles.

Iruka, flustered, fiddled with his napkin and avoided eye contact, "I think maybe we should all just shut up and enjoy the food."

"Hear, hear!" Naruto raised his glass and dug in, doing his best to ignore the weird, unfathomable intent coming from Sasuke's direction.

After dinner they played Charades and Pictionary on wonderfully achingly full stomachs until they all gave up and collapsed on the sofas and armchairs in soporified states. It didn't occur to Naruto to be disturbed by the arm around his guardian's shoulder, or the way his head lolled against his lecturer's chest. His eyes were drooping and he could muster no strength to force them open as he fell asleep on Sasuke's shoulder.

Afterwards he vaguely remembered seeing the blurred forms of Iruka and Kakashi standing in the doorway of the lounge as they prepared to leave and handing Sasuke two wrapped gifts. He couldn't tell what they were murmuring and their low tones soothed him back to sleep. The next thing he remembered was being hoisted to his feet and then the next moment he was falling back onto his bed. Dark eyes, glinting in the hall light looked down on him benevolently… lovingly.

"Kimi ga… aishiteru."

Naruto was suddenly very awake. He'd heard those words before. _Where? When?_ And then it hit him with an old, great sadness mingled strangely with blossoming joy. His father's benevolent, loving face. His mother's soft, sweet laugh.

_Kimi ga aishiteru._

"I love you." Naruto breathed.

Sasuke started and there was a fear in his eyes that chilled Naruto to the core. But suddenly the warmth was back and he wound himself around Naruto's form, breathing deeply into his neck and falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Come on. Let's head back." Naruto said, tugging on Sasuke's arm after a moment of silence as they watched the snow, "I wanted to see 'Stand By Me' on TV tonight and it starts soon."

Sasuke continued to examine the view, little grooves forming between his eyebrows. Naruto tugged his sleeve again impatiently and whined pitiably.

"Hm?" Sasuke grunted and met Naruto's curious gaze, "Right. Of course."

Naruto shook his head and began to lead him carefully back down the frosty hill, "'Sup with you?"

The raven-haired boy shrugged and unconsciously pulled Naruto's hand into his coat pocket with his own to keep it warm. Naruto watched his profile as they trudged and only stopped when Sasuke's expression changed from thoughtful frown to disapproving glare. He looked ahead to see four figures walking at a distance towards them, three of which he recognized and one of which recognized him simultaneously and hailed him with an energetic wave.

"HALLO-OOO!" The one waving called, his pudding-basin hair whipping in the biting wind and snow. Lee, clad in a large, green, wooly sweater grinned broadly and quickened his pace to meet them. Sasuke groaned quietly. Behind Lee, Naruto saw the stoic Neji turning to Hinata and murmuring something in her ear while giving Naruto the evil-eye. Hinata dipped her head and Naruto gulped before he was distracted by an effervescent Lee who grabbed his hand and shook it furiously, "Nice to see you again on this fine day! Did you have an agreeable Christmas? Isn't the weather perfect?!"

The elements chose that moment to blow a particularly forceful gust of wind into Naruto's eyes and they stung terribly as he replied, "Perfect."

The rest of the small troupe caught up to Lee (who continued to babble inanely to a disgruntled looking Sasuke) and Naruto noted that the newcomer stood slightly apart from the rest of them. He stared sullenly into the distance with startlingly green eyes, obvious even under the cover of wild, almost maroon-red hair. As Naruto met Hinata's gaze he flashed a smile but she dropped her eyes sheepishly and blushed.

"Lee, these people probably have places to be. Why don't you wrap this up." Neji intoned pointedly, all the while keeping his odd eyes on Naruto with a look of utter contempt. Naruto bristled and opened his mouth to tell Neji where he could shove it when Lee cut across him.

"Yes! I almost forgot! We're having a New Years party at our house again if you want to come?"

At this Neji's face went through a series of expressions: at first dumbfounded, then comprehending and then about ready to break something (or someone) as he failed to find the words to correct the situation. Hinata's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the fury bubbling behind her brother's eyes. The redhead looked over at him and an imperceptible twitch graced the corner of his mouth. He went unnoticed by everyone.

"We would love to." Naruto narrowed his eyes and grinned slyly at the fuming Neji, "Wouldn't we, Sasuke?"

Sasuke grunted in what Naruto took to be an accord.

"Well, then it's settled! Celebrations start at nine. We look forward to seeing you again, Naruto… Sasuke. Seasons gree-eeetings!" Lee called as he was dragged off by a terrified looking Hinata. Neji stalked off with them without a backward glance obviously still struggling to grasp how the situation had come about. The redhead lingered behind briefly and offered Naruto and Sasuke curious glances. He looked about ready to say something but was hurried along by an angry cry from Neji.

"GAARA!"

Naruto wiggled his fingers at him in a bemused farewell and watched their backs as they disappeared over the brow of the hill before turning to Sasuke.

"Did you see that bastard's face? That totally killed me. Whoo! Partaay!" He babbled enthusiastically. Sasuke remained stony-faced, "What's up with you, Mr. Moody?"

"Nothing." Sasuke replied with slight hesitation and when Naruto pressed him with a raised-eyebrow he reiterated, "Really, it's nothing."

"I don't believe you. Spill the beans, Uchiha."

"It's just…" He paused and a stricken look crossed his porcelain features, "… I can't shake the feeling that this is the eye of the storm." When Naruto looked confused he continued, "That something really bad is coming."

Again the image of falling stars flashed into Naruto's mind.

* * *

'Stand By Me' was just finishing when the doorbell rang. Naruto was about to shout for somebody else to answer it when he remembered that he was the only one in the house for a change. Sasuke had left during the first ten minutes of the film to go out grocery shopping as most of the edible food in the cupboards had been thrown into the dinner the day before. Naruto groaned, stretched and heaved himself off the couch, wondering who on earth it could be. _Maybe it's Sasuke wanting help with the shopping, _Naruto mused. He stumbled over to the front door, not caring whether he looked presentable, and opened it to the frosty night air and a man on the stoop that was most certainly not Sasuke. He was a good foot and a half if not two feet taller than Naruto, who suddenly felt very vulnerable, and bore the look of someone whose muscles weren't formed for the sake of vanity. A wicked grin with oddly sharp teeth spread across his face. It was not a friendly grin. It was a grin that would make one usher their children to their bedrooms and make sure the puppy was shut in the larder. Oddly shark-like. As Naruto did not have children or even a puppy he didn't have the sensibility to lock the door and close the curtains. Instead he fixed the man with an impious grin of his own and asked, "Can I help you?"

"Blond, mmm…?" The man said in a gravelly voice inflected with a Japanese accent and his grin grew a little larger, a feat Naruto would have thought impossible, "A cute blond."

"Excuse me?"

The stranger shook his head slightly in amusement and Naruto suddenly noticed the bluish tint to his skin which had been hidden by the orange glow of the streetlight but was momentarily visible in the light from the hallway, "I was looking for U- …Sasuke Uchiha. I take it he's not in?"

"…No." Naruto replied warily and something made him add, "He doesn't live here anymore."

The behemoth of a man fixed Naruto with small, yellowy eyes, the shit-eating grin still rigid, and raised a thin eyebrow, "Oh, really?"

Naruto wavered, giving his lie away.

"I didn't think so. Do me a favour, blondie." The stranger said and leaned in conspiratorially, "Pass on a message for me."

Naruto scowled but said nothing as he concentrated on holding his ground and resisting the temptation to move away from those bizarre teeth.

"Tell your boyfriend…" He paused for effect, watching the flicker of surprise in Naruto's eyes, "Tell him that Itachi wants to see him."


End file.
